A federal jury has awarded $3.25 million to the family of Cordale Handy, who was shot by St. Paul police in 2017, finding excessive force was used.
St. Paul: A federal jury just awarded $3.25 million to Cordale Handy’s family after he was shot by police back in 2017. Handy’s mom took the city to court, claiming the officers used excessive force.
During the trial, the jury found that one officer acted wrongly, leading to a hefty payout. They decided on $1.5 million in punitive damages and $10 million in compensatory damages. But the city thought that amount was way too high and filed an appeal.
In a new trial, the city’s attorney suggested a much lower figure, between $100,000 and $400,000, while Handy’s lawyer argued for $17 million. After some serious deliberation, the jury came back with their decision.
So, what happened? On March 15, 2017, police responded to a call about a woman screaming in Handy’s apartment. They had no idea Handy had fired shots inside, thinking he was seeing things. A toxicology report later showed he had a stimulant in his system.
When the officers confronted him, they said he fell and pointed his gun at them. They ended up shooting him ten times, even when he was on the ground. Unfortunately, there were no cameras to capture the incident, and the police hadn’t started using body cameras yet.
The first jury found that one officer violated Handy’s rights, but the other was cleared of wrongdoing. Neither faced criminal charges, and both have since left the police force.
In the latest ruling, the jury awarded $1 million for past damages and $2.25 million for future harm. Handy’s mom, Kimberly, expressed her heartbreak, saying her son’s life was taken from him.
The city is still pushing back, asking for the damages to be lowered or for a new trial. They argue that the original amount doesn’t match the evidence presented. Handy worked at the Salvation Army and didn’t have kids to support, which the city pointed out in their arguments.
In the end, the judge reminded jurors to focus on Handy’s life and what he could have provided to his family, not on punishing the officers or the city.
