Jury Verdict In Favor Of Md. SWAT Team Affirmed
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- The federal appeals court in Richmond has upheld a Maryland jury's verdict clearing a Baltimore County SWAT team in a woman's fatal shooting.
A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday rejected claims that the verdict was tainted by faulty jury instructions and other errors. The panel said the case was capably argued by both sides, and nothing warranted upsetting the jury's decision.
The family of Cheryl Noel, 44, sued after she was killed by police during a 2005 drug raid at her family's rowhouse. Noel was holding a handgun when she was shot.
The family claimed police used excessive force and violated Noel's constitutional rights by using a battering ram to break down the front door instead of knocking and announcing their presence.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
