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Jury says BPD officers did not act inappropriately when one fatally shot a man in 2012

A federal jury decided yesterday that two Boston officers did not deprive Burrell Ramsay-White of his civil rights when one of them fatally shot him during a confrontation in the South End on Aug. 21, 2012.

Ramsay-White's mother, Carla Sheffield of Dorchester, had filed a civil-rights lawsuit against Officers Mathew Pieroway and his partner, Joel Resil, alleging that Pieroway shot her son in the chest even after he had dropped his gun in a dumpster, in full view of the officer, following a foot pursuit - that in turn followed a car chase despite the officers being told to stop their pursuit. She also charged that the officers did not summons medical help; that only officers who came to the scene after the shooting did so.

But the jury yesterday sided with Pieroway and Resil following a trial that started March 11, finding that the officers acted appropriately in ordering Ramsay-White out of the car he was driving that day - which belonged to another man with an outstanding warrant - and that Pieroway did not use excessive force to violate Ramsay-White's rights when he shot him.

In 2013, then Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley released a report that found Pieroway had acted appropriately, that Ramsay-White was pointing a gun at the officer's head at the top of some stairs on Yarmouth Place and that Ramsay-White only dropped the gun after being shot.

Sheffield's complaint (1.4M PDF).
Judge's order, dismissing some charges but letting others go to trial (99k PDF).
Jury's answers to questions (146k PDF).

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Comments

So the man pulls a gun on the cops, the cops shoot him, and the cops are at fault. Makes sense.

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The jury sided with the cops.

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Jeez, hope Carmella isn't serving on any juries anytime soon, hahaha

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I was referring to the idiots for filing the lawsuit in the first place. I guess I should’ve been more clear.

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What's wrong with filing the families filing a lawsuit?

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Also unsubtle. Go away, "Carmella".

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I know righties like you think anyone exercising their constitutional rights is an "idiot", but you have to recognize their right to do so.

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The last attachment 404s. FYI

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The link works now. Sorry about that.

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I would side with the police officers involved, to often we see hesitation that causes harm to our law enforcement officers. I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6. Hopefully criminals will learn from this.

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Also, funnily enough: this comment would probably disqualify you to be on a jury, hahaha

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Yes, we live in a cartoon world where everyone is a good guy or bad guy (criminal), and it is fine to just shoot the bad guys.

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When cops and citizens drawi guns on one other, any illusions of a cartoon world that got them to that point are about to fade away pretty fast. There’s no changing the channel and nothing will ever be the same for a whole lot of people after that moment.

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