Legal

Miss. SC: City police immune from wrongful death suitBY JESSICA M. KARMASEKJACKSON, Miss. (Legal Newsline) – The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled last week that Jackson police officers did not act with “reckless disregard” of a woman’s safety in a wrongful death suit filed by her family.In its July 26 opinion, the Court reversed a decision by the Hinds County Circuit Court.In September 2007, Jackson police officers were dispatched to the home of Doris Shavers on Ludlow Avenue, in response to calls that an armed man was making threats toward a minor on a bicycle. The “armed man” was Henry Phillips, who was living with Shavers at the time.When officers arrived, Phillips was in possession of a .25-caliber weapon with a silver and brown handle. Officers left the scene, but returned shortly after to take the weapon from Phillips.While one officer was with Phillips retrieving the gun, another officer talked with Shavers. There was no indication that Shavers was afraid of Phillips or that she wanted Phillips removed from her house.With Phillips’ help, the officers found the .25-caliber weapon in a nearby field and confiscated it. Shavers then went to her mother’s home, also on Ludlow Avenue. When police left the scene, they took with them the gun they confiscated from Phillips.Less than 10 minutes later, officers were dispatched back to Ludlow Avenue on a reported shooting. Phillips, using a different gun, shot and killed Shavers in her home.Phillips pleaded guilty to murdering Shavers and is currently serving a life sentence.In June 2008, Shalandria Shavers, individually and on behalf of Doris Shavers’ beneficiaries and heirs, sued the city of Jackson, the Jackson Police Department, Henry Phillips and eight unnamed individuals for the woman’s wrongful death.The [...]