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$350,000 Verdict for Malicious Prosecution, False Arrest Claim
A jury in Virginia’s Richmond County Circuit Court has awarded a man $350,000 for injuries incurred during an arrest. Brian Soyars III was arrested outside a bar on January 1, 2006.
Ironically, Soyars called police to report that he had witnessed an assault. When police officer Brian Shows arrived, he refused to talk to Soyars or his friend. Instead, Shows went into the bar and spoke to the bartender. When Shows came out of the bar, he placed Soyars under arrest.
Soyars tried to explain that a mistake was being made. Shows then twisted and beat Soyars’s left arm, causing multiple fractures. Soyars incurred no permanent injuries and returned to his job as a jet pilot three months later. A charge of obstruction was later dismissed in Richmond General District Court. A civil suit for malicious prosecution, false arrest, and breach of duty was then brought by Soyars.
The matter proceeded to a jury trial and, on April 1, 2006, the jury awarded Soyars $200,000 in compensatory damages and $150,000 in punitive damages. He was represented by Richmond attorney Irving M. Blank. See: Soyars v. Show, Va. Cir. Ct., Richmond Co., No. CC07-1178.
Ironically, Soyars called police to report that he had witnessed an assault. When police officer Brian Shows arrived, he refused to talk to Soyars or his friend. Instead, Shows went into the bar and spoke to the bartender. When Shows came out of the bar, he placed Soyars under arrest.
Soyars tried to explain that a mistake was being made. Shows then twisted and beat Soyars’s left arm, causing multiple fractures. Soyars incurred no permanent injuries and returned to his job as a jet pilot three months later. A charge of obstruction was later dismissed in Richmond General District Court. A civil suit for malicious prosecution, false arrest, and breach of duty was then brought by Soyars.
The matter proceeded to a jury trial and, on April 1, 2006, the jury awarded Soyars $200,000 in compensatory damages and $150,000 in punitive damages. He was represented by Richmond attorney Irving M. Blank. See: Soyars v. Show, Va. Cir. Ct., Richmond Co., No. CC07-1178.
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Related legal case
Soyars v. Show
| Year | 2006 |
|---|---|
| Cite | Va. Cir. Ct., Richmond Co., No. CC07-1178 |
| Level | State Trial Court |
| Conclusion | Jury Verdict |
| Damages | $350,000 |
No other information is currently available.