Jury: Virginia Beach officer liable in 2019 fatal shooting

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A civil court jury found a Virginia Beach police officer liable in the fatal shooting of a man in a 2019 backyard standoff Monday and awarded $1 million to the man’s family.

News outlets report the the family of Jeffrey Tyree sued Detective Bradley Colas, the officer who shot Tyree, and another officer.

The judge ruled there wasn’t enough evidence against the second officer. Officers responded to a report of a man trying to harm himself and police said Tyree was shot after he picked up a knife and approached an officer in a “threatening manner.”

Officials determined the shooting was justified. The deputy city attorney says the city will challenge the verdict and appeal if necessary.

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