JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A federal judge is dismissing a civil lawsuit that sought $35 million in damages from a Mississippi city and a white police officer in the June 2016 shooting death of a black man.
U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock ruled Monday that relatives of the man, Antwun “Ronnie” Shumpert, hadn’t proved their case against the city of Tupelo or Officer Tyler Cook. She writes there was no proof Cook acted improperly in shooting Shumpert and no proof Tupelo failed to properly train Cook.
Federal and state prosecutors previously ruled out criminal charges against Cook, despite claims by Shumpert’s relatives that the shooting was unjustified.
Their lawyer, Carlos Moore, said the family “is dumbfounded” and will appeal.
The shooting sparked protests last year in Tupelo, prompting creation of a police advisory board.
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