Black Man Savagely Beaten to Death by Covington Sheriifs

Sister Seeks $40 Milion in Wrongful Death of Aaron Shaw
Covington County Sheriff's Department Deputy Chris Inabinett, CCSO Captain Walter Inabinett and the City of Florala have been named as defendants in a federal lawsuit filed late this week. The suit is being brought by the sister of a man who one of the above law enforcement officials allegedly shot to death last fall, on October 28, 2004. Margaret Shaw Henderson, acting on behalf of the estate of Aaron Shaw, retained counsel in Montgomery to file the civil suit, which alleges assault, battery, negligence and municipal liability on the part of Florala, among other items. "Essentially, the allegations are that Mr. Shaw was taken into police custody, beaten at least two times ... at several locations by several officers," said Attorney Jay Lewis, lead counsel for the prosecution in this case. "We contend that Chris Inabinett and Walt Inabinett used excessive force and they denied (Shaw) his rights to due proceedings." The suit, which is set to go before a jury in the U.S. District Court System, alleges that the deceased 47-year-old black male resident of Florala was "savagely" beaten and subjected to "unreasonable and excessive force" during the process of the man's arrest. Henderson's complaint also asserts that Shaw was denied his constitutional rights and that the named defendants acted "in a neglectful, unskillful, and careless manner as compared with other police officers under the same or similar conditions," and that Shaw was killed "as a direct and proximate result" of the officials' alleged actions.  Compensatory and punitive damages being sought by the plaintiff total $40 million. [more]

• Witnesses say Shaw was beaten after he was cuffed. One of those witnesses was city councilman Grady Hobbs. "So, I walked across the field there, and I looked over there and there was three officers on him. One was trying to kick his his feet in the car where he could get into the car, and the other one had his head, bumping it" (on the side of the patrol car).
  
• Police Murder Black Man in Alabama [more]
• Suspicious Death Leads To Community Outrage [more]

Comments

[Drive By Truth]

Not that anyone here probably cares, but the deputies in this story have been completely exonerated. A grand jury (which consisted in part of black citizens of Covington County) refused to indict either deputy. The lawsuit referenced above has been completely thrown out of federal court.

It seems that Aaron Shaw wasn't the innocent the race pimps protrayed him to be. Hopped up on crack cocaine, he brutally attacked the officers on the scene while in a state of cocaine-induced agitated delirium. Because Shaw's state gave him superhuman strength and endurance, the officers were only able to handcuff him in front.

From this position, Shaw was able to continue to fight. He kicked, hit, bit, and struck the officers. One of the defendants in the lawsuit was struck in the head twice by Shaw with a radar antennae.

At the scene of the shooting, Shaw took a TASER away from a deputy and incapacitated him with it. He then turned to a second deputy and began to indirectly shock him. This officer became incapacitated as well. Shaw was able to get out of the car where he fell at the feet of the sole remaining deputy. Shaw came up towards the last deputy with the TASER in his hand, trigger pulled, still going off, and aimed at the last deputy standing.

It was at that time that he was shot.

The actions of these brave officers should have been commended instead of condemned. If the people here would have been able to see past the color of the criminal's skin, they might not have been so quick to jump to unfounded conclusions.

The evidence has been presented. A jury and a judge have decided. You people were wrong.