Family of black man shot dead awarded $US4

A US jury in a lawsuit over the shooting of a black man by a policeman in Florida has awarded the family $US4, saying the victim was responsible for his death.

Jurors who awarded only four cents to the family of a black man fatally shot by a police deputy in Florida have said they struggled to reach consensus in the hours before their verdict.

The jury found 30-year-old Gregory Hill Jr 99 per cent responsible for his death because he was drunk when he was shot by a deputy responding to a noise complaint.

According to jury notes, the foreman wrote to a federal judge to say they could not reach a unanimous decision before finally deciding on the family's lawsuit against the St Lucie County Sheriff's Office last week.

In the incident on January 14, 2014, Hill opened his garage door to answer the deputy, who fired as the door came down again. A gun was found in Hill's pocket.

The jury awarded Hill's relatives four US dollars, of which they get one per cent.


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Source: AAP



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