WOODLAND HILLS—A jury found in favor of a Los Angeles Police Department officer in a lawsuit filed by a Woodland Hills woman whose husband was shot to death by officers in the South Los Angeles Crenshaw area early in 2008. Laura Cox and her attorneys alleged that her 38-year-old husband, Maurice Cox, was wrongfully murdered after officers shot 50 bullets at him, believing he had a weapon in hand.

The object in question that he was holding was a cell phone charger.

A Los Angeles Superior Court jury came to a 9-3 verdict, finding in favor of Officer Jose Campos, on Monday, November 29, after an approximate two-hour deliberation.

Upon hearing the verdict and how quickly it was reached, Cox stated, “I’m in total shock.”

Her husband was killed during a confrontation with police at about 7:20 p.m. on March 1, 2008. Prior to this, Cox had reportedly crashed his truck on Crenshaw Boulevard and then ran to a U.S. bank on Crenshaw and Slauson. There he found officers in the parking lot, according to LAPD.

Cox and her lawyers, who filed the lawsuit in July 2008, argued that Campos had no reason to shoot 50 bullets, 13 which hit her husband, but defense attorneys defended the actions of Campos and four other police officers (who were no longer a part of the case), saying that they believed the phone charger Maurice Cox was holding was a handgun, having walked towards them with it as if he was going to shoot.

However, attorney Carl E. Douglas insisted that firing 13 bullets to a man who never shot one bullet, was excessive.

Laura Cox and her lawyers have stated that they are looking into a possible appeal.