Jury Awards $4 To Family Of Man Killed By Florida Deputy

ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FL — A jury in Florida awarded the family of a man who was killed by a St. Lucie County Sheriff's deputy just $4 in damages. The jury also found that the man, Gregory Vaughn Hill Jr., was 99 percent responsible for the death, so that resulted in even less money to Hill's family — 1 percent of the award, or a measly 4 cents in damages.

According to court documents, the jury awarded $1 to Hill's mother, Viola Bryant, for funeral expenses and $1 each to his three children. The suit was filed by Bryant in 2016 on behalf of Hill's estate against St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara and deputy Christopher Newman. Hill was shot and killed in a confrontation with police more than four years ago.

The jury found that Mascara had been negligent in the shooting, but that he was only 1 percent responsible for Hill's death. The jury found no negligence on the part of Newman, the deputy who fatally shot Hill. In the jury verdict form, the jury answered "yes" to the question that asked whether Hill was "under the influence of alcoholic beverages to the extent that his normal faculties were impaired" and because he was under the influence of alcohol, he "was more than 50% at fault for this incident and his resulting injuries?"

"I don't get it," the family's lawyer, John Phillips, told The New York Times. Phillips told The Times he was drafting a motion for a new trial and he would file an appeal if it is denied. Phillips has also started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for Hill's family.

"Help us tell his story. Help us help his kids who the jury awarded $1 to. His daughter saw everything from across the street. Police have repeatedly change the story," Phillips wrote in a tweet along with the GoFundMe campaign link.

Hill was fatally shot in January 2014 when Newman and another deputy responded to a noise complaint at his home. According to court documents, Newman knocked on the front and garage entry doors of the residence when the garage door opened. The court documents allege Newman's partner "indicated loudly" that Hill had a gun and then the garage door closed.

According to the TC Palm, deputies first knocked on the garage door, and when no one responded, Newman knocked on the front door. When the deputy heard the music get louder, he turned and saw the garage door opening and Hill standing inside with his left hand on the door and his right hand down, the paper reports.

Newman drew his gun as the garage door began to close and fired, according to TC Palm.

Newman then fired through the garage door, striking Hill four times, the court documents say. Hill was found face down in the garage with an unloaded handgun in his back pocket.

Hill's blood alcohol level at the time was five times the driving limit, according to The Orlando Sentinel.

"We are pleased to see this difficult and tragic incident come to a conclusion," Mascara said in a statement. "Deputy Newman was placed in a very difficult situation, and like so many fellow law enforcement officers must do every day, he made the best decision he could for the safety of his partner, himself, and the public given the circumstances he faced. We appreciate the jury's time and understanding and wish everyone involved in this case the best as they move forward."

Photo via GoFundMe

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