Court Upholds Damages Against 2 Police Agencies

A state appeals court has upheld a $124,000 judgment in a case dealing with excessive force against the Eunice Police Department and the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office.

The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal made the decision this week dealing with a lawsuit filed by Jurnell Smith.

Smith was seeking damages for getting stunned and pepper sprayed when he drove up on a crime scene near his Eunice home back in 2009.

One of Smith's attorneys says the whole scene caught him off guard.

The sheriff's Office did not appeal the ruling, but Eunice Police wanted the judgement tossed out; the court of appeals disagreed.