Lawsuit alleges Virginia police shot unarmed Black man while he had his hands in the air

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Lawsuit alleges Virginia police shot unarmed Black man while he had his hands in the air
A Minneapolis Police officers unrolls caution tape at a crime scene on June 16, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
  • Isiah Brown, 32, was shot 10 times after placing a 911 call in April 2021.
  • He was shot by a police officer who had provided him a ride earlier in the day.
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A federal lawsuit accuses a Virginia police officer of shooting an unarmed Black man, without warning, at least eight times while he had his hands in the air outside his mother's home.

The shooting of Isiah Brown, 32, occurred while he was standing 25 feet away from Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Deputy David Matthew Turbyfill, according to the complaint, filed Monday with the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Body camera footage, released soon after the April 2021 shooting, shows Turbyfill opened fire less than 30 seconds after exiting his vehicle, local ABC affiliate WRIC reported.

He was indicted by a grand jury in July on a felony charge of reckless handling of a firearm in connection with the incident. Turbyfill faces up to five years in prison, if convicted.

"The flurry of bullets that hit Mr. Brown caused enormous injury to his body," the lawsuit states, piercing his intestines and leaving his bladder "obliterated." Brown was hospitalized for weeks following the shooting, undergoing multiple surgeries and forced to wear a colostomy bag.

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The lawsuit asks the court for $26.3 million in compensation.

As Insider previously reported, Brown had earlier received a ride from the deputy who shot him after his car broke down at a nearby gas station.

After being dropped off at his mother's home, Brown himself called 911, complaining that his family was not letting him get the keys to his car. During the call, he asked his brother to "give me the gun" and told the dispatcher that he wanted to kill him - though he soon after said that he did not have any weapon.

He was shot minutes later, with the deputy stating that "he's got a gun to his head." It was a cell phone.

Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com

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