KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – The family of a Kentucky man who was shot and killed by law enforcement last year following a police pursuit that began in Kentucky and ended near Knoxville has filed a $30 million civil lawsuit.
Paul Derrick Moss, 51, of Lexington, was shot and killed in April 2022 by law enforcement along I-75 in Knox County, Tennessee after a high-speed pursuit that began in Whitley County, Kentucky.
His daughters have filed a federal civil lawsuit that names Anderson County, Anderson County Sheriff Russell Barker, the City of Jellico and law enforcement officers from the Jellico Police Department and Anderson County Sheriff’s Office as plaintiffs.
The lawsuit filed April 12 accuses the agencies and officers of wrongful death, excessive use of force, civil rights violations, assault and battery, and failure to intervene.
It contends that surveillance footage shows that Moss did not attempt to hit officers with his car as members of both agencies told the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. It asserts Moss was not a threat to officers when he was fired at 32 times and struck nine times.
Anderson County and the City of Jellico are accused of failing to properly train officers. The suit also alleges that the City of Jellico’s intentionally delayed the implementation of body cameras and dash cameras with audio in order to prevent the objective evidence regarding police-citizen encounters.
The lawsuit seeks a jury trial, compensatory damages to be determined by the jury, $30 million in punitive damages, as well as attorney’s fees.
