California Stun Gun Case Damages Award Upheld

A federal appeals court has upheld $250,000 in damages to a San Francisco Bay area man who was shot with a stun gun during a confrontation with police five years ago.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a judge’s ruling, including an additional award of nearly $350,000 in attorneys’ fees.

A jury found that Pittsburg officers had used excessive force on Frederick Jackson after an angry and profane exchange outside a neighbor’s home in 2008. Jurors also said that one officer, Gerald Lombardi, had retaliated against Jackson for exercising his right of free speech.

Jackson was arrested in the incident but was not prosecuted.

Peter Edrington, a lawyer for Pittsburg and its officers, said no decision had been made about whether to appeal.