FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Opening statements are expected in the federal lawsuit filed by a young black man who was unarmed when he was shot and left paralyzed by a Palm Beach County sheriff's deputy.
Attorneys for 22-year-old Dontrell Stephens are expected to tell jurors Monday that then-Deputy Adams Lin used excessive and unwarranted force when he opened fire in September 2013.
Dashboard camera video shows Stephens holding a cell phone when he is stopped by Lin for cutting his bicycle in front of a truck.
The shots happen outside the frame. Lin says Stephens reached for his waistband, causing him to fear Stephens was pulling a gun. Lin was cleared by local prosecutors and the sheriff's office. Lin has since been promoted to sergeant.
