TEMPE, AZ — A federal jury deadlocked Wednesday in the excessive force lawsuit against Tempe police and a retired police lieutenant.
In 2016, then-Lieutenant Ed Ouimette was chasing an armed robbery suspect, Dalvin Hollins. In the parking lot of a senior living community, Ouimette claimed the 19-year-old pointed a gun at him, and that prompted the lieutenant to fire his own weapon.
But no gun was ever found at the scene or with Hollins, who ran to a nearby storage shed, collapsed, and died.
Hollins' family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit for wrongful death and excessive force.
And after a weeklong trial, the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on most of the claims. Due to the hung jury, the judge scheduled a retrial for the lawsuit early next year.
An attorney for Hollins' family says today’s decision does nothing to affect their view of the case or our quest for justice.
The City of Tempe released a statement Wednesday night supporting the men and women of the police department and acknowledging the difficult work they do.
The city's statement also mentioned police reforms in recent years including implementing all the changes outlined in the national 8 Can't Wait campaign.
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