Jury awards $3.9 million to family of man shot dead by police

The family of a man gunned down by a Chicago police officer three years ago has been awarded $3.9 million by a Cook County jury.

Ronald Mullins, 30, was shot three times and killed by Officer Geoffrey Roberts during a confrontation at a gas station near a West Side police precinct headquarters.

Shortly after the shooting, police said Roberts was outside the police station on July 6, 2004, when he heard a dispute and tires squealing at the gas station. He tried to stop Mullins and, when Mullins refused to stop, reached inside his car and grabbed him.

A police investigation cleared Roberts of wrongdoing.

But a lawyer for one of Mullins' survivors said Roberts had acted recklessly. Gary Laatsch said the officer pursued Mullins as Mullins drove away and jumped at or in the car and then shot Mullins three times in the back.

"There were other options available," Laatsch told the court.

The jury on Tuesday awarded $5.2 million to Mullins' survivors, including his father, but it reduced the amount to $3.9 million because of Mullins' conduct in the incident.

Karen Seimetz, an assistant corporation counsel, said lawyers for the city of Chicago were disappointed with the verdict and would consider an appeal.