A civil court jury this week found that Mike Cochran, a Lakeland police officer, was negligent when he shot Reginald Jackson in the neck in 2001.
The jury awarded Jackson $550,000 in the case Wednesday.
Jackson's lawyers said the city would be liable only for $100,000 under the state's sovereign immunity clause. Lawyers hadn't decided Thursday whether they would file a petition with the state Legislature for more money.
"I think the verdict reflected the recklessness of officer Cochran," said Daryl Parks, one of Jackson's lawyers. "It was a tough case. They did everything in their power to stop us."
The Lakeland Police Department did not return calls for comment.
The incident began in the parking lot of Church's Chicken restaurant, 213 W. Memorial Blvd., in October 2001, when Jackson was issued tickets by Cochran for a tag violation and for not placing a passenger younger than 3 years old in a child restraint device.
Cochran told Jackson to make a phone call and get a child seat before leaving the parking lot of the restaurant.
About 15 minutes later, Jackson left and headed west on Memorial Boulevard.
But he was stopped by Cochran about a block later.
Jackson got out of his car and ran, despite Cochran's orders. The two ran around a building and Jackson got back in his car, according to Ledger records.
Police said Jackson repeatedly "lurched" the car toward Cochran, who yelled for him to stop.
At the time, a police spokesman said Cochran feared for his life and fired a single shot, striking Jackson in the neck. The child, the son of Jackson's girlfriend, was not injured.
Jackson was treated at Lakeland Regional Medical Center and taken to the Polk County Jail.
Jackson was charged with attempted murder of a police officer, but the State Attorney's Office later dropped the charges.
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