The Family of a Man Who Was Shot by Ohio Police Files a Civil Rights Lawsuit
The family of James Williams, a Black man who was fatally shot without warning by a white Ohio police officer minutes into the New Year, has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the officer and the city of Canton in federal court.
Williams, 46, had been firing celebratory gunfire skyward from behind a 6-foot-tall (1.8-meter-tall) privacy at his home when officer Robert Huber fired multiple rounds through the fence as smoke rose into the air. Footage from Huber’s body camera showed him shouting “Get down!” after he had shot Williams, who died at a hospital.
Canton Police Chief Jack Angelo on the day of the shooting said the officer was outside his vehicle and confronted someone who began shooting a firearm. Angelo said the officer feared for his safety and fired his duty weapon at the person, striking him.
