A U.S. appeals court sided with the Kansas district court in denying Officer Rapp qualified immunity in Finch’s death The court said a reasonable jury could believe Finch was unarmed and unthreatening when Rapp fired the shot that killed him. [More]
So why is he only facing a civil trial and what does that tell us about department policy and the prosecutor?
[Via Michael G]
Is it safe to assume that the deceased’s family and the officer are from the same city/town?
If so, and if they prevail in their civil lawsuit, wouldn’t that mean they are partially paying for any award or settlement they receive?
The more I think about these wrongful police shooting lawsuits from that angle, the less they sound like “justice” and the more like “the most gruesome lottery ever”.
Especially since the payouts never come close to the department’s budget; like any casino, in the end the “house” always wins.
Rapp must have been in complete compliance with all dept. protocols and procedures and the killing was deemed right, proper and just.
Ergo no criminal indictment.
Awesome justice system, just awesome.