Sheriff must pay $15M for death of Florida teen outside fair

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – A Florida sheriff has been ordered by a jury to pay $15 million to the parents of a teenager who died while trying to cross a highway after being kicked out of the state fair by deputies.

The 10-person jury reached its verdict Thursday evening in Tampa federal court in the case of Andrew Joseph III.

The Black 14-year-old was killed on an interstate in 2014 after he was ejected from the Florida State Fair following a disturbance involving several teenagers.

The plaintiffs’ attorney said the boy should never have been placed in such a vulnerable situation by authorities.

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister could appeal the verdict. He issued a statement Friday expressing sympathy for the Joseph family.

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9/23/2022 10:09:58 AM (GMT -5:00)