The case at hand involves the deadly shooting Charles Byers, which occurred in July 2023 in the middle of a neighborhood. As CBS 6 previously reported, two police officers received reports of breaking and entering and arrived on scene to find Byers standing in a yard and holding a hatchet. According to body camera footage, about 45 seconds after arriving, officer Gordon Painter fired multiple shots at Byers as Byers was backing away from them and fired more shots at his back after he turned around. Byers was pronounced dead on the scene.

The Byers family sued Officer Painter and the county for excessive force, claiming officers failed to de-escalate the situation and that Byers, who was in mental distress and under an active temporary detention order, was not a threat.

District Court Jud

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