JACKSON, Miss. — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that alleged 21-year-old Rafael Forbes was killed in 2007 by a Jackson policeman's stun gun.
The Clarion-Ledger reports that U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate ruled this week that there was no proof that the city had a policy that led to Forbes' death.
"This lawsuit ... is devoid of allegations or evidence of wrongful actions by city policy-makers," Wingate said.
In her 2009 lawsuit filed on behalf of her son, Patricia Forbes alleged negligence and excessive force by a Jackson police officer against her son.
The city, in its motion to dismiss the lawsuit, said an autopsy showed Rafael Forbes died as a result of hypertensive heart disease, morbid obesity and hyperthermia — all of which Patricia Forbes denied was true.
Police reports said Forbes was arrested Aug. 14, 2007, after a foot chase and a stun gun was used because he was resisting arrest. Forbes began showing signs of shortness of breath and was taken to Central Mississippi Medical Center, where he died at 12:15 a.m. the next day.
A court document filed for Patricia Forbes said medical records show Rafael Forbes was 6-foot-2 and 228 pounds, "not even close to being obese."
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