A Rockford jury in a civil trial related to the 2009 police shooting of Mark Anthony Barmore today found the city of Rockford liable for the distress it caused to the plaintiffs. But the jury awarded them compensation well below what they were asking.
The officers shot Barmore, a suspect in a domestic violence case, after pursuing him into the basement at Kingdom Authority International Ministries church where the House of Grace Day Care operated. A lawsuit was filed against the city of Rockford on behalf of a day care worker and 10 children present at the time of the shooting, as well as the Brown family, owners of the church. It asked for up to $4 million in compensation for the emotional distress caused by the incident.
Jeff Kolkey has been covering the case for the Rockford Register-Star. He says the jury deliberated for about 14 hours in his estimate.
He says the testimony from the two officers earlier in the trial was very intense:
The jury awarded $45,000 to the daycare worker, about $30,000 each for the children present at the time of the shooting, $25,000 for Sheila Brown and $15,000 for Marissa Brown. The Rev. Melvin Brown was not awarded any money.
City Statement
"The City of Rockford greatly appreciates the service of the jurors in the matter of the Kingdom Authority/House of Grace v. City of Rockford lawsuit. The City extends its gratitude to all those court personnel who assisted in the jury trial of this matter, as well. We believe that the jury’s verdict was based upon the law and evidence that were offered during trial. However, we must disagree with the law and evidence that were offered by the Plaintiffs and the court as inappropriate and incorrect based upon existing law in the State of Illinois. The City’s attorneys will consult with the City Council to determine a future course of action. Because the jury’s verdict will likely be appealed, we must limit our comments at this time."
