Mayor April Capone Almon's Statement on the Malik Jones Verdict
A federal court awarded the estate of Malik Jones, who was shot to death by an East Haven cop in 1997, $900,000 Thursday in compensation.
Re: Estate of Malik Joans vs Town of East Haven
This case was retried this week in federal court in Hartford before Judge Alvin Thompson. As you may remember, it was tried the 1st time about 7 years ago before the same judge. In that first trial, a $2.5 million dollar verdict was returned against the Town of E.H. & that verdict was subsequently vacated as illegal. Yesterday, the lawyer for the Estate of Malik Jones asked the jury for a verdict of at least $4 million dollars. The jury returned a verdict today of $900,000. Just as it was in the first trial, our attorneys fully expect that this second verdict will also be vacated & set aside based on errors committed by the trial judge.
While I have sympathy for any family who loses a child under any circumstance, our officers have a duty and a right to uphold the law and return safely to their own families at the end of every shift.
In light of the fact that this is still an on-going case, there will be no further comment from me or any employee or official of the Town of East Haven.
Mayor April Capone
Town of East Haven, CT
250 Main Street
East Haven, CT
06512
203-468-3205
