Ralph Dwayne Miller v. Dick I. Taylor, City of Knoxville

In this 42 U.S.C. § 1983 case, Plaintiff Ralph Dwayne Miller appeals a jury verdict in favor of Defendants Officer Taylor of the Knoxville Police Department, and the City of Knoxville, Tennessee. Plaintiff contends that the trial court erroneously instructed the jury on the burden of proving self-defense, and on the standard of reasonableness against which to measure Officer Taylor’s use of deadly force. We find no error in the trial court’s charge to the jury. 1 Accordingly, we affirm.

I

On the evening of July 30, 1986, Officer Taylor observed Plaintiff driving a motorcycle carrying a female…