Now that the murder case against a Farmers Branch police officer has been resolved, a civil suit in the case can move forward.
A federal judge put the civil case against the City of Farmers Branch and police officer Michael Dunn on hold while Dunn's murder case wound through the courts.
Now that a criminal court judge has cleared Dunn, he can resume work and the civil lawsuit can move forward.
A civil suit has different elements than a criminal case. The family of Juan Moreno has filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit. In 2019 Dunn was a Farmers Branch officer who was part of a task force that had its eyes on Moreno, who was driving a stolen truck.
As police moved in, Moreno began driving off. A video played at the criminal trial shows Dunn shooting into the vehicle as Moreno went by.
The suit says because Dunn was not in immediate danger, the shooting was a violation of the city's policy. And the suit says the city has a history of discriminating against minorities.
No hearing date has been set.
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