Jury awards greater than $10 million to household of Gilbert Flores, who was fatally shot by deputies -

On Thursday, the jury discovered that officers Robert Sanchez and Greg Vasquez violated Flores’ civil rights through the use of “excessive and unnecessary deadly force.”

The jury ordered each deputies to every pay $1,435,000 to the household in compensatory damages. In addition, Vasquez was ordered to pay $5 million in punitive damages, and Sanchez $2.5 million.

CNN has reached out to protection attorneys for the deputies for remark.

Months after the deadly capturing, a grand jury declined to cost the 2 deputies they usually have been allowed to return to work from administrative depart.

Sanchez and Vasquez responded to Flores’ San Antonio house on August 28, 2015, for a home dispute name. Recordings of the 911 dispatchers’ calls launched later that 12 months confirmed Flores’ mom had known as authorities that day to report he had hit his spouse and had “gone crazy,” CNN affiliate KSAT reported.

Flores spoke to the dispatchers as properly, asking if paramedics have been coming and later saying he was planning to die by the hands of police, in keeping with the affiliate.

Authorities mentioned that when the deputies received there, Flores was armed with a knife. Then-Bexar County Sheriff Susan Pamerleau mentioned the capturing passed off after a “lengthy confrontation,” throughout which the deputies first tried Tasers and shields to push back Flores’ knife. Both deputies fired their weapons, CNN has beforehand reported.

A video shot by a bystander confirmed Flores had his palms up within the air earlier than he was shot. A second video, filmed by a neighbor and launched later by authorities, additionally reveals him lifting his palms simply earlier than being shot, in keeping with KSAT.

The jurors within the civil case watched the bystander’s video throughout testimony, the affiliate reported. Vasquez, one of many two deputies, additionally took the stand and mentioned he tried to deescalate the scenario, however Flores lunged at him with a knife a number of occasions and struck him with it, in keeping with the affiliate. “The situation was getting bad to worse,” Vasquez mentioned, in keeping with the affiliate.

“The return of this verdict by a jury of our peers here in Bexar County demonstrates that we will not tolerate the use of excessive force that kills our citizens.” mentioned Thomas J. Henry, an legal professional for the Flores household, including that with out movies of the capturing the household could “never have obtained justice.”

“My hope is that this sends a message to all law enforcement in the United States that excessive force will not be tolerated,” Henry mentioned.