Interesting lawsuit

[The Sushi Hunter]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... .DTL&tsp=1

Or

OAKLAND, CA Suspect shot by cops sues

A drug suspect who was shot and critically wounded after he crashed his car into another vehicle and struck a police officer at the end of a chase in East Oakland is suing the city for $1.5 million.

The shooting happened June 5, 2008, as officers were conducting surveillance of possible drug deals on the 2300 block of 88th Avenue.

The officers saw an alleged deal taking place and tried to stop Tavares Cobb, 28, as he left in a 1997 Cadillac. Cobb refused to stop, leading police on a chase through several city blocks, investigators said.

As the driver headed east on Bancroft Avenue from 82nd Avenue, he collided with a car. The impact wedged the Cadillac and the other car against a curb. The driver of the second car was not seriously injured.

An officer ran up to the Cadillac, but Cobb threw the car into reverse, dragging the officer and just missing another officer, police said.

The officer who was hit wasn't injured. Two other officers, Christopher Cardona and Christophe Marie, opened fire on Cobb, hitting him in the chest, stomach, head, groin and both hands.

Despite being shot, Cobb hit the gas and tried to head west on Bancroft before finally running into a fence near St. Benedict's Catholic Church.

In a suit filed June 7 in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, Cobb said Cardona, who shot first, had opened fire "without warning or provocation," prompting Cobb to drive away because he was in "fear for his life."

No guns were found in the Cadillac, the suit said. But drugs were discovered in the car, and Cobb was later convicted of a drug-related crime.

Cobb, who is represented by Oakland attorneys John Burris and Adanté Pointer, said he suffered "physical disfigurement" and emotional distress and wants the city to pay him $1.5 million in damages.

The complaint names the city, then-Police Chief Wayne Tucker, Cardona and Marie as defendants. The city has not responded to the suit in court.

[SherriBerry]

The fact that such a lawsuit can even be filed says a lot about the justice system. If that creep wins a nickel, it's time to tear it down and build a new one, because the current system isn't working. Ours isn't either - we don't have a justice system that acts like a second chance at the lottery because we have severe caps on settlements, but penalties for serious crimes up here are a joke. A person can face stiffer penalties for chopping down a tree in a national park than for trying to kill someone.

By the way, failing to stop for a police officer, then fleeing the scene of an accident, and finally dragging a police officer with your car while trying to avoid arrest is provocation.