Civil trial set for officer who shot mentally ill man

NORFOLK, Va. – A civil trial begins Tuesday for a Virginia police officer who shot and killed a mentally ill man who had a knife.

The Virginian-Pilot reports (http://bit.ly/2mNIzD1 ) that Norfolk police officer Carl Seger will represent himself. The family of the man he shot, Lawrence Faine, seeks $2.5 million.

The shooting occurred in 2014. A judge had ordered Seger to arrest Faine and take him to a hospital.

Seger says Faine came at him with a knife. Prosecutors determined Seger had to shoot Faine to protect himself and others.

Faine's family claimed the officer acted recklessly when he forced his way into the apartment with a gun.

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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://pilotonline.com