MENU
SEARCHJurors found that both officers' actions were "objectively unreasonable ... such as that no reasonable officer could have believed that the shooting was lawful," according to court documents. The amount of damages was based on physical pain, mental anguish, loss of companionship, and punitive damages.
A jury in a federal civil trial this week recommended that the city of Austin and two officers pay more than $67 million to the family of a man who was fatally shot by Austin police officers in 2017.
The figure could be reduced by a judge, the American-Statesman reports.
Landon Nobles, 24, was shot May 7, 2017, after downtown officers reported hearing gunfire. A relative of Nobles', who was at the scene, told the American-Statesman after the shooting that Nobles had a gun but did not point it at officers.
Austin police Lt. Richard Egal pushed his bike into Nobles as Nobles was running, then saw that Nobles was armed, police said. Nobles fell, got up and ran.
Egal and Austin police Cpl. Max Johnson viewed the move as an imminent threat and opened fire, investigators have said.
The office of then-Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore determined that the shooting was justified .
Egal and Johnson violated Nobles' Fourth Amendment right to be protected from excessive force, the jury decided. Of the total damages awarded, Egal should pay $187,500, and Johnson should pay $150,000, jurors said.
Jurors found that both officers' actions were "objectively unreasonable ... such as that no reasonable officer could have believed that the shooting was lawful," according to court documents. The amount of damages was based on physical pain, mental anguish, loss of companionship, and punitive damages.
Discover how one police department cut crime nearly in half using smarter patrol data. This whitepaper breaks down the real-world strategy behind a 46% drop in vehicle thefts, improved officer safety, and stronger community visibility.
Read More →
Can an individual be prosecuted for despicable criminal conduct based on evidence obtained in violation of the United States Constitution? Ultimately, the Ninth Circuit judges wrote, “In the circumstances of this case (United States v. Holcomb, 23-469 (9th Cir. 2025)), respect for the Constitution and the rule of law requires an answer of “no.”
Read More →
<strong>“</strong>Cashless bail policies allow dangerous individuals to immediately return to the streets and further endanger law-abiding, hard-working Americans because they know our laws will not be enforced,” the administration said.
Read More →The DOJ said in a press release that the “sanctuary city” policies of the City of Los Angeles are illegal under federal law.
Read More →
Officers can be criminally prosecuted for using force when their actions led to escalation during contact with subjects.
Read More →
In the Tenth Circuit case of Cuervo v. Sorenson, the Court ruled officers cannot deviate from the language of the warrant.
Read More →The Civil Rights Division will be taking all necessary steps to dismiss the Louisville and Minneapolis lawsuits with prejudice, to close the underlying investigations into the Louisville and Minneapolis police departments.
Read More →House Bill 4404 would create a presumption of civil immunity for individuals who are cleared criminally after using force in self-defense, shifting the burden of proof onto plaintiffs.
Read More →Seattle police Capt. Eric Greening sued former Chief Adrian Diaz last year alleging that Diaz retaliated when Greening brought up concerns about racial and gender discrimination.
Read More →Jim Leighty, a local activist, filed two federal lawsuits last year claiming both agencies deleted or hid critical comments he had written below multiple posts, while keeping comments that were pro-police in nature.
Read More →