McCann awarded $14.5 million in damages

A jury has awarded $14.5 million to a wrongfully convicted man, saying a Michigan State Police sergeant violated his constitutional rights as he pursued a perjury case against him.

WOOD-TV is reporting the seven-person jury this week decided that Ray McCann Jr. was due $12.5 million in compensatory damages, plus $2 million in punitive damages. The verdict, McCann said, will hopefully send a warning to other police officers that the tactics used against him were not acceptable.

He sued Michigan State Police cold-case detective Sgt. Bryan Fuller for wrongfully targeting him, believing he killed 11-year-old Jodi Parrack in 2007 in Constantine, WOOD-TV reported.

The jury deliberated Tuesday for more than four hours before coming back with its verdict. As it was announced, McCann leaned over and rested his head on his attorney’s shoulder, WOOD-TV reported.

The trial lasted a week before a seven-person jury heard closing arguments Tuesday morning.

Fuller, who still works for Michigan State Police, was represented by the Michigan Attorney General’s Office.

McCann was still serving his 20-month prison sentence for perjury when the real killer, Daniel Furlong of White Pigeon, was arrested and confessed to Parrack’s murder.