BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — A federal lawsuit resulting from a 2022 police shooting involving a Simpson County sheriff’s deputy has reached a resolution. The case involved Deputy Stephen Burke, who shot Lloyd Fields during a police pursuit that ended in a crash in Tennessee.
Fields filed legal action against both Burke and Sheriff Jere Hopson in U.S. District Court. His lawsuit alleged excessive force after Burke shot him in the head while he was a passenger in a vehicle that had collided with a grain silo. The incident occurred during a police chase on February 1, 2022, where officers were attempting to apprehend a vehicle they believed was transporting illegal drugs.
An agreement was reached last month during a settlement conference, leading to the court filing an order to dismiss the case on Wednesday. While the specific terms of the settlement remain confidential, Fields’ attorney, Brennan Soergel, expressed his client’s relief at finally closing this chapter.
Soergel maintained that the shooting had no justification, arguing that Fields was unarmed and displayed no violent behavior toward the officers. He stated that Burke wrongly perceived Fields as a threat, citing a lack of evidence to support the deputy’s claims of fearing for his life. The attorney emphasized that Fields’ hands were moving in response to officers breaking the driver’s side window, not as an act of aggression.
Following the shooting, Fields faced over $692,000 in medical expenses, including multiple brain surgeries and ongoing rehabilitation. Burke had been part of a specialized task force monitoring the vehicle involved in the pursuit, which was tracked due to allegations from a confidential informant connected to drug trafficking activities.
On the night of the incident, Burke and another agent were prepared to stop the vehicle, but it fled, leading to a high-speed chase that involved several officers. The pursuit ended when the vehicle crashed, leaving Fields in a highly vulnerable position.
Body camera footage from Deputy Seth Stewart, who was involved in the incident, captured the event, becoming a crucial piece of evidence during the proceedings. Although Burke claimed his body camera was activated during the shooting, court records noted that it was not operational at that moment.
After the crash, Burke drew his weapon and approached the vehicle, instructing Fields to show his hands. Tensions escalated, and Burke ultimately fired his weapon after perceiving a threat from Fields’ hands, which he claimed moved unexpectedly. However, other officers did not observe the need for such an extreme response at that time.
Attorneys for Burke argued that he acted out of a reasonable belief that Fields posed an imminent threat. Burke testified that his focus was solely on ensuring he could see Fields’ hands and that he acted instinctively to protect himself and his fellow officers.
Although the lawsuit has been settled, it has drawn public scrutiny, especially given its circumstances. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation looked into the shooting and presented findings to a local grand jury, which chose not to indict Burke on any criminal charges.
In addition to the excessive force claim, Fields’ lawsuit included allegations of negligence and battery against Burke, while Hopson faced potential liability for Burke’s actions. Both attorneys previously filed motions for summary judgment, but those actions are now moot following the settlement.
This incident has left a lasting impact on all parties involved, as Fields continues to navigate his recovery, while the accused deputy has avoided criminal charges despite the serious nature of the allegations against him.
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