Steen Civil Suit Likely Set For November

Aaron Watson, the attorney for the family of Victor Steen, tells IN he will likely file a civil suit against the City of Pensacola next month.

During the early morning hours of Oct. 3, 2009, 17-year-old Victor was hit and killed by Pensacola Police officer Jerald Ard while riding his bicycle in the Brownsville neighborhood. Steen reportedly failed to stop after numerous commands by Ard, who believed the teenager to be tresspassing on a construction site.

The controversial incident later led to a Coroner’s Inquest in April, which cleared Ard of any wrongdoing.

In January, Watson filed a notice with the City that the family planned to sue for $10 million. The City is only entitled to pay out $200,000 under state statutes, but the amount can be overturned by the Legislature.

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Author: Rick Outzen

Rick Outzen is the publisher/owner of Pensacola Inweekly. He has been profiled in The New York Times and featured in several True Crime documentaries. Rick also is the author of the award-winning Walker Holmes thrillers. His latest nonfiction book is “Right Idea, Right Time: The Fight for Pensacola’s Maritime Park.”