The Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- The civil trial stemming from the accidental shooting death of police Sgt. Cornel Young Jr. is expected to start next week, after a federal court judge on Thursday denied the city’s effort to have the case thrown out.
The city argued the entire case should be dismissed because the two officers who shot Young in January 2000 have been removed from the lawsuit.
U.S. District Court Judge Mary Lisi rejected that argument.
The lawsuit, which alleges civil rights violations, names the city, the police department and two former police chiefs as defendants.
Lawyers for Young’s mother, Leisa Young, contend the city is liable for the sergeant’s death because officials failed to properly train and supervise the officers who shot him.
Young was off-duty and in plainclothes when he tried to assist officers with a disturbance outside a diner. He was mistaken for a suspect and shot to death.
Officers Michael Solitro and Carlos Saraiva were cleared by a state grand jury of criminal wrongdoing, and cleared of federal civil rights violations by the U.S. attorney’s office.
Jury selection is expected to begin Tuesday. The case has been split into two phases: the first to determine if Young’s rights were violated and, if it’s found they were, to determine whether the city is responsible.