City of Denton dismissed from lawsuit over man’s police shooting death

A judge dismissed the city of Denton from a lawsuit in the police shooting death of a UNT student.

Darius Tarver was shot and killed by police back in 2020.

Police went to his apartment complex after neighbors reported he was acting erratically.

When officers confronted him, he had a frying pan in one hand and a meat cleaver in the other.

Denton police release bodycam video of fatal officer-involved shooting

Police said an officer fired shots at Tarver after a Taser didn’t stop him from charging at them. He cut one officer with the meat cleaver during the attack.

The officer who shot and killed Tarver was cleared of any wrongdoing by a grand jury and the FBI.

FBI clears Denton police officers in UNT student's shooting death

Darius Tarver

Tarver’s family filed a lawsuit accusing the city of improperly training officers. The judge ruled against that claim.

The case is still pending for two officers who claim they are protected by qualified immunity.

DentonCrime and Public Safety