Jury finds Syracuse officer liable for violating rights of man she killed at Father's Day riot in 2016
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — The Syracuse Police officer who killed a man she thought was about to shoot her was found civilly liable for violating his constitutional rights Friday in federal court.
Officer Kelsey Francemone shot and killed Gary Porter as she responded and was working to subdue active shooters at a Father's Day party that turned into a riot near Syracuse's Skiddy Park in 2016.
Francemone was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing by a grand jury in 2016.
Porter's family then sued Francemone personally, alleging she violated his constitutional rights.
A federal jury of eight people found the victim's family did sufficiently argue their claims and awarded the Porter family $10,000 in damages.
Somewhat contradictory, the jury also found that Francemone successfully argued that Porter was armed and actively shooting. That determination allows the judge to consider 'qualified immunity' for Francemone, which allows her protection from damages because of her official duties as a police officer.
The $10,000 awarded at trial is somewhat of a financial victory for the City of Syracuse, which was about to award the Porter family more than $800,000 until the settlement was blocked by the Syracuse Common Council.
Francemone has been celebrated for her bravery on the night of the riot, including accolades from the New York governor.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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