Virginia Beach Jury Awards $1 Million To Family of Man Killed by Virginia Beach Detective
Jeffery Tyree was shot by Virginia Beach Police Detective Bradley Colas during a mental health crisis in 2019
Virginia Beach, VA (July 27, 2021) - After more than a year of litigation, the family of Jeffery Tyree, a 57-year-old veteran who was shot by officer Bradley Colas of the Virginia Beach Police Department during a mental health crisis on February 9, 2019, was awarded a $1 million verdict by a unanimous jury.
On February 9, 2019, police were called to the home of Tyree’s mother, where he was undergoing significant mental distress. After an hours-long negotiation with the suicidal veteran, an officer unexpectedly and suddenly jumped into the fenced-in backyard and tackled Tyree, who was holding a knife, to the ground. Seconds later, Colas fired a fatal gunshot into Tyree, killing him. The family filed a wrongful death suit against Colas, with Sarah Gelsomino and Marcus Sidoti, both partners with Friedman, Gilbert + Gerhardstein and local counsel, Kevin Martingayle, of Bischoff and Martingayle representing the plaintiffs.
After months of extensive litigation, the case went to trial on July 20, 2021, and concluded late last night with a jury returning a verdict in favor of the plaintiffs for $1 million.
“Jeff’s death was preventable, unnecessary, and traumatizing for his family members who called the police to seek help for Jeff. Instead, Colas shot him dead in his mother’s backyard. This is yet another example of police using excessive force against the mentally ill, violating the law, and creating suffering and death where no force was warranted or necessary.”