In the small town of Colfax, Louisiana, the life of 54-year-old Harold Phillips was cut short on July 24, 2009. On that day, Phillips, a male, was shot five times in the back by Colfax police officer Stephen Merchant. The incident led to a legal battle that would see the officer facing charges for his actions.
Following an investigation into the shooting, Stephen Merchant was arrested and charged in connection with Harold Phillips' death.
The case proceeded to trial, where a jury ultimately convicted Merchant of manslaughter. For his crime, the former police officer was sentenced to serve five years at hard labor in the Louisiana state prison. The conviction brought a measure of justice to the Phillips family, though their ordeal was not entirely over.
In the wake of the criminal proceedings, the family of Harold Phillips sought to hold the town of Colfax accountable by filing a civil lawsuit against both the town and Officer Merchant. However, their efforts were hampered by a Louisiana law that protects municipalities from such lawsuits unless it can be proven that the town had prior knowledge that the officer was violent or otherwise dangerous. As Officer Merchant had no previous record of such behavior, the town was dismissed from the civil suit. The family's legal challenge ultimately fell apart after they dismissed their lawyer and did not secure new representation, resulting in the entire lawsuit being thrown out. In the end, the family received no financial compensation for their loss.
