Milwaukee police shooting, jury awards man $2M: 'Couldn't believe it'
MILWAUKEE - Nearly a decade after Milwaukee police shot a man in the back, a federal jury decided the city of Milwaukee must pay him $2 million.
"I couldn't believe it," said Joseph Walker. "Listening to the testimony in the courtroom, I felt that it might go my way, but I didn't believe it would."
Court documents show Walker filed a lawsuit against the city of Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Police Department and several officers after he was shot in the back by police in April 2014.
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"After the verdict, mentally, I'm feeling a lot better. A lot, lot better mentally. Physically, I have a lot of issues," Walker said.
Court documents said Walker was having a mental health crisis and was out of his medication when police were called to the scene. The lawsuit said, while responding, officers thought Walker had a gun and used force. Walker said multiple officers fired their guns; he denies ever having a weapon.
Court filings related to police shooting of Joseph Walker
"Mr. Walker was shot in the back, on his own front porch, surrounded by 17 or so Milwaukee police officers," said Samantha Baker. "It just made me want to dig into it and see what went wrong and why this injustice was served upon him."
Samatha Baker and Emil Ovbiagele are Walker's attorneys.
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"Mr. Walker was 100% his own advocate. He filed this case on his own," added Baker.
"We knew we were going to leave no stone unturned in trying to get Mr. Walker the justice we believed he deserved," said Ovbiagele.
The jury awarded Walker $1 million for an excessive force claim and another $1 million for the officers' failure to intervene.
"It just means on that day, they made a big mistake that almost lead to Mr. Walker losing his life. All we ask for is justice for that day," added Ovbiagele.
Nearly ten years after that day, Walker is grateful for the jury's decision: "I don't want this to happen to nobody else."
When asked to comment on the case, the Milwaukee Police Department directed FOX6 News to the Milwaukee City Attorney's Office. The city attorney has not yet responded to FOX6's repeated requests for a comment.