A federal jury awarded $8.3 million dollars Wednesday to the family of 17-year-old Cedric "CJ" Lofton, who died in police custody in 2021.
Lofton died at a Sedgwick County juvenile facility after five officers pinned him to the floor for more than half an hour during a mental health crisis.
The civil lawsuit alleged that excessive force was the cause of Lofton’s death and that Wichita Police officers and county workers were not trained on how to handle teens in crisis.
The jury found all five county officers guilty of violating Lofton’s rights.
The family dropped its claim for punitive damages after officers testified they were not trained on the prone restraint or its dangers.
Prior to the verdict, during public comment at the Sedgwick County Commission meeting Wednesday, Wichita resident and former mayoral candidate LaWanda DeShazer urged major reforms at the juvenile facility.
“We cannot have people in there that have been accused,” DeShazer said. “No matter what the court says, they were part of something that killed someone. You can't get away from that.”
Lofton's death was ruled a homicide. But in 2022, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett decided to not press charges against county workers involved in the teen's death, citing Kansas Stand Your Ground laws.
Sedgwick County’s communications office responded to the verdict in an emailed statement Wednesday afternoon.
“Sedgwick County continues to follow its values in integrity and service to the people,” the statement said. “We respect the judicial process and are reviewing the verdict, awaiting the finalization of court proceedings and discussing next steps.”
