A jury found that two Detroit police officers used excessive force when they fatally shot Lamont Johnson in 2018 just seconds after ordering him to show his hands.
Now, the department owes more than a million dollars to Johnson’s family.
On Oct. 28, 2018, police say responded to a report that Johnson, 43, came home from drinking with some friends and was acting aggressively. The caller, one of Johnson’s friends, claimed he was acting “out of character” and threatened his group of friends with his handgun, per FOX 2 Detroit.
After returning the firearm to his holster on his waistband, the friend said officers Tyler Nagy and Raul Martinez showed up.
Authorities say they ordered Johnson to put his hands up, but seconds later, shots were fired. The department claimed the officers fired in fear of their lives because Johnson tried to reach for his gun. To gas their heads up even more, the Detroit Police Officers Association awarded the officer the label of “District Officers of the Year,” alleging Johnson had his gun in hand.
Johnson’s family disputed the claim in their lawsuit, arguing the officers shot Johnson before giving him a chance to respond. A jury sided with Johnson’s family on that claim Tuesday.
“We alleged that a reasonable police officer would not have shot him because we didn’t see any movement from Lamont, and there wasn’t enough time for him to reach for a gun – 2.5 seconds is not enough time,” attorney Mark E. Boegehold told the Detroit Metro Times. “What they think they saw was not what happened. That’s what we presented to the jury.”
Read more from Detroit Metro Times:
The jury on Tuesday found that Detroit cops Tyler Nagy and Raul Martinez used excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment when they fatally shot Lamont Johnson on the 14000 block of Tireman.
Johnson’s family sued the officers and police department in October 2020, alleging gross negligence, wrongful death, and violations of Johnson’s civil and constitutional rights. Some of those claims were later dismissed.
During the trial, the department’s own police procedures expert said he reviewed video of the shooting and did not see Johnson reach for a gun because the film was too dark.
The jury awarded Johnson’s family $1.5 million. Accusations the officers faced were only related to excessive force; they were never accused of intentionally trying to kill Johnson, the report says.