THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 12, 1995 TAG: 9504120401
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 39 lines
The City Council declined Tuesday to pay any compensation to Ronald Duck, who was shot accidentally by a city police officer last year.
Duck had previously turned down a $75,000 offer from the city and sought to win $1 million through a federal lawsuit. A jury last month ruled against Duck. He came back Tuesday to appeal directly to council members.
Duck did not speak, but his brother James Duck made his case. Duck was shot June 2, 1994, while standing in front of his house.
``The world knows this was a tragedy and a mistake,'' James Duck said. ``We just want the city to pay him for it. I can't believe the people of the city of Norfolk would not want the right thing done by my brother.''
Councilman Herbert Collins said the whole episode ``pained me tremendously.''
But he said City Attorney Philip Trapani thought Duck should file a legal appeal rather than coming back to the city.
``That's not the only thing we can do,'' Councilman Joseph Green said.
``I would hope that the council would say to the attorney to make some kind of compensation to this young man. It sounds fair to me.''
But Mayor Paul Fraim disagreed. ``If we put ourselves in the position of being a second trier of fact, and whenever someone has not received what they wanted through the legal process they could get it through the political process, there would be no end to it.''
That was the council's last word on Duck's request. The council took no action.
KEYWORDS: LAWSUIT NORFOLK POLICE DEPARTMENT SHOOTING ACCIDENTAL
SHOOTING APPEAL NORFOLK CITY COUNCIL by CNB