Minneapolis fights award in fatal police shooting

by Brandt Williams, Minnesota Public Radio

Minneapolis — Lawyers for the city of Minneapolis will challenge in federal court on Friday a $1.8 million jury award to the family of a man fatally shot by police in 2006.

Last October, a jury found two Minneapolis police officers liable for the wrongful death of Dominic Felder. In 2006, the officers shot and killed Felder -- an unarmed man who family members say was experiencing a mental breakdown.

The jury awarded Felder's family more than $1 million in compensatory damages, and assessed another $800,000 in punitive damages. The total does not include Felder family attorney fees of nearly $400,000.

The city is seeking to reduce the total jury award to a little more than $100,000.

City attorney Susan Segal declined to comment.