John Cooper of Cooper Hurley Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Family of Man Shot Dead by Police at Norfolk Bank

A lawsuit has been filed by my colleague John Cooper on behalf of the family of a man who was killed by police in a shooting at a Wells Fargo bank in Ghent, Norfolk last year.

Details of the wrongful death lawsuit were reported in the Virginian-Pilot. The family of Joshua “Omar” Johnson, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday morning against the two police officers involved.

The lawsuit alleges that Officers Matthew A. Watson and Matthew Williams were in violation of police procedure when they barricaded Mr. Johnson’s vehicle at the Wells Fargo at 21st and Colonial Avenue with Williams on foot behind the vehicle.

The tragic events that ensued made headlines. Joshua “Omar” Johnson drove his car in reverse and hit Williams, police reports stated. Watson then opened fire, killing Johnson and hitting Williams in the leg, according to a report.

The Virginian-Pilot reported the officers were called to the bank on May 20, 2013 because Johnson and his girlfriend were attempting to cash a stolen check.

John Cooper has filed the lawsuit but has not requested it be served on the defendants yet. He is seeking to get the Norfolk city attorney to show him video of the shooting, but has been unsuccessful so far. The video may determine how the family proceeds.

Norfolk’s commonwealth’s attorney, Greg Underwood recently ruled that Watson was justified in the use of deadly force and would not face criminal charges.

John Cooper has more than 24 years’ experience in wrongful death lawsuits. Contact Cooper Hurley at 757.455.0077 or see Cooperhurley.com.