Fairfax Man Shot by Swat Officer

The family of Salvatore Culosi filed a civil suit against Fairfax County, the Fairfax Police Chief, the head of SWAT for Fairfax County, and the officer who shot Culosi for violations of excessive force and violations against the Virginia's Wrongful Death Statute. The family had scientific evidence on their side that proved the statement from the officer was false and that he violated protocol. The family used a a weapon expert, a crime scene expert, and a psychologist to prove that the officer was negligent with his use of a fire arm. Culosi at the time of his arrest for sports betting was cooperating with the police, had no weapon, and was not a flight risk. The officer who shot Culosi had his weapon pointed at Culosi with his finger on the trigger, which went off killing Culosi. The case settled out of court after the officer’s motion was denied to have the expert testimonies excluded from trial. The family of Culosi was awarded $2,000,000 for the damages suffered by the wrongful death of their son and brother.