Parks & Crump Win A Big One In Imperial Polk County

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.

Louisiana Cop Indicted, Faces 45 Years in Prison for Tasering Handcuffed Suspect to Death

If convicted, Officer Faces 45 Years in Prison for Tasering Handcuffed Suspect to Death: "former Winnfield, Louisiana policeman could face up to 45 years in jail if convicted on charges he killed a suspect by shocking him with a Taser.

The charges are in connection with the Jan. 17 death of Baron “Scooter” Pikes in Winnfield, a small town less than 40 miles from Jena, the scene last year of one of the nation’s largest modern day civil rights marches."

Pikes died after being shocked with a Taser nine times, according to his death certificate. His family and community activists in Winnfield have said they want the officer to be held accountable for Pikes’ death.

Wednesday's indictment came eight months after the incident.

Officers said they spotted Pikes and took him into custody on an outstanding warrant.

Witnesses have said that Pikes was handcuffed while he was being Tased. A coroner’s report said by the time he was zapped with the Taser for the eighth and ninth times, it is possible Pikes was already dead.

Jury takes 90 minutes to clear boot-camp defendants

An all-white jury found all defendants not guilty in the death of Martin Lee Anderson after 90 minutes of deliberations here today.

Anderson's mother, Gina Jones, stormed out the courtroom after the final verdict was read.

"I can't see my son no more, but everybody sees their family!" Jones shouted.

Six jurors cleared the seven former Bay County juvenile boot camp drill instructors and a camp nurse not responsible for the 14-year-old boy's death. They were seen on a video kicking, kneeing and punching the boy, but the defense proved he died from a benign blood disorder, sickle-cell trait, not by the guards' actions.

The case has been racially charged since five of the defendants were white, two black and one Asian.

"You kill a dog and go to jail, you kill a little black boy and nothing happens," said Ben Crump, attorney for Anderson's parents.

Jurors in the case were escorted out by sheriff deputies as they entered their vehicles, and were given escorts by deputies driving patrol cars.

A number of defense attorneys appeared on Court TV following the verdict, and Bay County Circuit Judge Michael Overstreet, who presided over the case, watched from a chair in the courtroom on a television, sometimes laughing at the commentary.

The three Hillsborough County prosecutors who tried the case left immediately after the verdict.

Defense attorneys were more than happy to give media interviews.

Hoot Crawford, who represented Henry McFadden Jr., said the prosecution's witnesses hurt their own case.

"Two experts having conflicting testimony," Crawford said. "Their witnesses killed them."

The prosecution had one medical examiner testify Anderson died from suffocation, while another disagreed and said the boy died from lack of oxygen.

My response:

This is bull! I am honestly in tears right now. I can't believe this.