$4 awarded in damages to the family of a man shot by sheriff's deputy

A Florida man's family has been awarded $4 in damages following a wrongful death lawsuit for his fatal shooting by a sheriff deputy, reports BBC News.

The victim, Gregory Vaughn Hill Jr died on 14 January 2014 in the St Lucie County of Florida. The 30-year-old warehouse employee was shot through his garage door after police arrived in response to a noise complaint.

A jury ruled that there was no use of excessive force in the case, concluding that Hill was responsible for his own death due to his inebriation.

He was found with an unloaded gun, but whether he was holding it is disputed.



Gunshots rang through the neighbourhood after police were called to the Hill residence. They were responding to a noise complaint issued by a parent collecting her child from a primary school in the vicinity. The noise was reportedly loud music coming from the garage.

The New York Times reported that officers knocked at the garage door upon arrival. Hill only raised the door to close it again when he saw police outside.

An officer opened fire as the door closed, shooting four times and hitting Hill thrice, reports the New York Times. One of the bullets hit Hill in the head.

A judge asked the jury to determine if a violation of Hill's constitutional rights had occurred and if damages ought to be granted to the family.

Following hours of deliberation, the jury awarded a dollar each to his mother and three children. However, it conferred 99 per cent of the responsibility to Hill for his own death and required the sheriff's department to pay only one per cent of the damages. As a consequence, the family would receive a mere four cents.



"It's heartbreaking," said Hill's fiancée, Monique Davis in a statement to the New York Times. "There are a lot of questions I want to ask."

"I think they were trying to insult the case," said the family's lawyer, John Phillips. "Why go there with the $1? That was the hurtful part."

The jury ruled that the sheriff deputy, Christopher Newman, had not used excessive force when he shot Hill.

Phillips has created a page to raise funds for the Hill family and to help cover costs for repairs from the tragic incident. The page has received $15,000 in donations.

"Deputy Newman was placed in a very difficult situation," the sheriff's department said, following the verdict.

"He made the best decision he could for the safety of his partner, himself, and the public given the circumstances he faced."

Phillips says he is currently drafting a motion for a new trial and will file an appeal in case the motion is denied.

This article originally appeared on BBC News.