Fatal '03 shooting of Black Man by Akron police spurs suit

The family of an Akron man shot and killed by police nearly two years ago has sued the city and providers of mental health care. Vicki Chambers of Akron filed the lawsuit Friday in Summit County Common Pleas Court on behalf of the estate of her brother, Ronald Jackson. The suit seeks more than $1 million in damages. Two Akron police officers, responding to a domestic violence call Jan. 8, 2003, fired eight bullets at Jackson as he stood over his girlfriend with a knife in a Morgan Avenue home, authorities said. The 46-year-old woman suffered multiple knife wounds. Chambers alleges in her lawsuit that the Family Practice Center of Akron, Community Support Services, Portage Path Behavioral, the North Coast Behavioral Healthcare System and two doctors failed to treat Jackson's bipolar disorder. The suit also alleges that police used excessive force. The officers were cleared of wrongdoing following an investigation. [more]