PUNTA GORDA, Fla. ( WWSB ) - The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has asked a federal court to dismiss a wrongful death suit filed by the family of a man shot to death by deputies in 2024.

The motion filed on behalf of the sheriff’s office contends the thee deputies involved and Sheriff Bill Prummell are entitled to qualified immunity.

Qualified immunity protects law enforcement and other government officials from lawsuits in the course of their duties unless a plaintiff can show they violated a “clearly established” statutory or constitutional right.

The civil suit, filed in May by the family of 42-year-old Leroy Clarke, contends the deputies involved were not properly trained and unnecessarily escalated the situation, using deadly force against Clarke.

Was the shooting justified?

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