A federal jury awarded $15 million to the estate of a teenager who was killed while crossing an interstate after being ejected from the state fair by sheriff’s deputies. The jury attributed 90 percent liability to the sheriff’s office and 10 percent liability to the deceased.

On Feb. 7, 2014, plaintiff’s decedent Andrew Joseph III, 14, a student, was attending the state fair in Tampa. It was Student Day at the fair. Almost 100 students, including Andrew, were detained at the fair for alleged unruly behavior. Hillsborough County Deputy Sheriff Mark Clark brought Andrew to the fair’s detention area so Andrew could be ejected. Andrew was kept there for 40 minutes and was then placed in a police van. All witnesses agreed that Andrew and the four other boys with him were escorted outside of the ticketed portion of the fair and dropped off on fairgrounds property outside of Gate 4.