Norfolk Police Officers not liable for Black Man's death, review finds

Police officers involved in the fatal apprehension of a man who had been punching windows of passing vehicles used only the amount of force necessary to subdue him, according to Commonwealth's Attorney John R. Doyle III . Doyle based his preliminary conclusion on a review of witnesses' statements and police videotape that captured part of Kenny S. Jefferson's  struggle with officers. That was just moments before Jefferson stopped breathing . The videotape was shot from the car of a police supervisor who arrived as officers attempted to handcuff Jefferson, 26 , on Chesapeake Boulevard near Johnstons Road  on Aug. 14 , Doyle said. It did not capture the incident perfectly but showed Jefferson struggling with officers, Doyle said. Authorities declined to make the tape available Monday.The death of a young black man during an arrest raised questions about police actions. The Norfolk chapter of the  NAACP has said it will investigate. Funeral director Carlos A. Howard , who paused in a procession passing the arrest scene, said he saw Jefferson on his chest and stomach, his hands cuffed behind him and also attached to his ankles, which were cuffed together. Howard has questioned whether that affected Jefferson's breathing.  [more ]