LOS ANGELES (AP) - Parents of a man who was shot by an Orange County sheriff’s deputy have been awarded $3.4 million.
The Orange County Register says a Los Angeles federal jury made the award Monday after finding the deputy used excessive force during the 2016 encounter with Brandon Lee Witt.
The 39-year-old Witt was shot in the parking lot of a Yorba Linda motel. Deputies had approached his car, believing it was stolen.
A county district attorney’s report concluded that the shooting was justified, saying Witt tried to drive off, dragging a deputy, and also appeared to be reaching for a weapon.
But his parents’ lawsuit alleged that Witt was shot while sitting in the car.
Orange County officials say they’re disappointed with the verdict and will review it.
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