Wrongful Death Suit Filed Against Racist Suspect Real Estate Agent also Facing Murder Charge for Beating 60 yr old Black Man to Death - Attacked "Walking Down the Street" & "For No Clear Reason"
/From [HERE] The daughters of a man who was fatally beaten on St. Charles Avenue last year are seeking compensation from their father’s accused killer in a wrongful-death lawsuit filed Friday.
Garrett Ward, 26, owes damages because of the physical pain and mental anguish he caused Arnold Jackson, 60, in a Jan. 6, 2018, attack that sent the victim to the hospital for several days and ultimately cost him his life, according to the four-page suit filed in Orleans Parish Civil District Court.
Kenyada Schnyder and Arnez Matirne also contend that they are due damages for the loss of their father’s companionship.
Ward, of Baton Rouge, is out on $1 million bail while awaiting trial on a charge of second-degree murder in connection with Jackson’s slaying.
He has pleaded not guilty, and his attorney didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Monday about Schnyder’s and Matirne’s allegations.
Police said Ward beat the Black man to death for “no apparent reason” in the 2000 block of St. Charles Avenue — Jackson died several days after the attack.
Police documents filed at Orleans Parish Criminal District Court say that several eyewitnesses spotted a visibly drunk and upset Ward punching and kicking Jackson after 1 a.m. in the 2000 block of St. Charles Avenue for no clear reason. According to the prosecutor’s press release:
‘At least one witness described Jackson as “casually walking down the street minding his own business” when the younger man lunged and began punching his head.’ [MORE]
Officers responding to reports of the pummeling tracked Ward to an elevated parking lot next to a nearby restaurant and arrested him on a count of battery while Jackson was hospitalized at University Medical Center.
A commercial real-estate agent at the time, Ward posted a $10,000 bail for his release from custody on the battery count. Meanwhile, the lawsuit said, Jackson fell into a coma.
Doctors removed part of Jackson’s skull to relieve swelling in his bleeding brain. Despite having a fractured jaw and suffering from acute respiratory failure, Jackson was able to regain consciousness and contact Schnyder, said the lawsuit prepared by attorneys Bradley Egenberg, Ben Berman and Sarah Cancienne.
But Jackson’s condition then worsened. He suffered a stroke as well as multiple organ failure. He died on Jan. 18, 2018, having endured a dozen days in agony, according to the lawsuit.
His death prompted police and prosecutors to upgrade Ward’s charge to murder and judges to twice increase his bail amount. A pretrial hearing is set for later this month. He would face mandatory life imprisonment if convicted of murder.
The lawsuit, which doesn’t specify an amount of damages sought, was assigned to Judge Sidney Cates IV.