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Last updated on Tuesday, February 5, 2008
(INDIANAPOLIS) - The civil suit against the Ball State University officer that shot and killed a Bedford student concluded yesterday, and the verdict came down for the policeman.
The Indianapolis jury gave former officer Robert Duplain vindication in his role in the shooting death of 21-year-old Michael McKinney of Bedford.
Duplain was cleared of criminal charges in the November 2003 shooting a while back, and the jury yesterday determined he was not responsible for McKinney's death in the wrongful death civil lawsuit.
Michigan attorney Geoffrey Fieger, whose previous work includes the defense of Dr. Jack Kevorkian and a failed 1998 bid for governor of Michigan, claimed Duplain was lying on the stand and that Duplain had shot McKinney in the back twice.
Duplain, however, maintained McKinney didn't appear drunk, charged him and may have tried to wrestle his service weapon from him, and that's the version jurors believed.
This is, of course, sad news for the McKinney family here in Bedford.
Timothy McKinney, Michael's father, told WBIW News he hasn't been able to give the verdict sufficient thought for a reaction, and that he cannot say what the next step will be for the McKinney family.
Attorney Geoffrey Fieger could not be reached by press time for a reaction.
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