Federal review of DEATH sought [HERE]
Two Pennsylvania state troopers intentionally shot an unarmed 12-year-old Uniontown boy in the back, and his family deserves more than $28 million in damages, a federal jury found Tuesday.

The verdict in the civil rights case capped three weeks of court proceedings and nearly four days of jury deliberations. It was the first wrongful death verdict against the state police in recent memory and the largest payment ever imposed against the agency.

"This was not slipping on a banana peel. This is an American child who was shot in the back in broad daylight, and it was covered up," said Michigan civil rights lawyer Geoffrey Fieger.

The jury's findings were a dramatic departure from previous criminal inquiries that found the shooting of Michael Ellerbe on Christmas Eve 2002 was justified.

The verdict prompted U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan, who oversaw the initial federal criminal probe, to take another look at the case.

"I will review the transcript of the civil trial to determine whether reopening the federal criminal investigation is warranted," she said.

Fieger, who led the legal team for Ellerbe's father, Michael Hickenbottom, applauded the jury's decision.
"It means that justice still exists, and this justice is intended to stop the police from shooting people in the back and lying about it," he said.