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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 21 July 2023

Jury awards Florida girl burned by McNugget $800,000 in

damages

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. weeks. They contended
(AP) — A South Florida jury that the girl’s mother is the
awarded $800,000 in dam- one who has the problem
ages to a little girl who re- with the scar, and told ju-
ceived second-degree rors that $156,000 should
burns when a hot Chicken cover damages, both past
McNugget fell on her leg and future.
as her mother pulled away “She’s still going to Mc-
from the drive-thru of a Mc- Donalds, she still asks to go
Donald’s restaurant. to McDonald’s, she’s still
Lawyers for the family of driving through the drive-
Olivia Caraballo, who was thru with her mom, getting
4 when she was burned chicken nuggets,” defense
in 2019, were seeking $15 attorney Jennifer Miller said
million in damages. Jurors in her closing argument
reached their verdict after Wednesday. “She’s not
deliberating for less than bothered by the injury. This
two hours on Wednesday, is all the mom.”
the South Florida SunSenti- Defense attorneys de-
nel reported. clined to speak after the
The jury’s verdict form allot- verdict. Holmes testified
ted $400,000 in damages that she had purchased
for the past four years, and Happy Meals for her son
another $400,000 for the Philana Holmes, right, hugs her attorney, Keyla Smith, after a jury awarded her $800,000 on behalf and daughter, who was sit-
future from the McDon- of her daughter Olivia Caraballo, now 8, at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, ting in the back seat, and
ald’s USA and its franchise Fla., Wednesday, July 19, 2023. was driving away when the
operator, Upchurch Foods. Associated Press nugget fell on the child’s
A separate jury decided ally just happy that they lis- with that. I honestly had on having it removed, the leg. She said that the girl
in May that the company tened to Olivia’s voice and no expectations, so this is newspaper reported. screamed in pain, and
and franchise owner were the jury was able to decide more than fair for me.” Lawyers for McDonald’s when she pulled over in a
liable for the injury, which a fair judgment,” Olivia’s She testified on Tuesday argued that the child’s parking lot, she realized
occurred outside a Mc- mother, Philana Holmes, that Olivia, now 8, calls the discomfort ended when the nugget was lodged
Donald’s in Tamarac, near told reporters outside the scar on her inner thigh her the wound healed, which between Oliva’s thigh and
Fort Lauderdale. “I’m actu- courtroom. “I’m happy “nugget” and is fixated they said took about three the seat belt.q

1st Black woman named as police chief in Louisville, Kentucky

By DYLAN LOVAN a deputy chief. Greenberg, over the last few months, and opened the doors,” tice of conduct that de-
Associated Press who was elected mayor it’s become very clear that she said. prives people of their rights
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Lou- last year, had said in De- the best person to do this Greenberg said Gwinn-Vil- under the Constitution and
isville’s new police chief will cember that Gwinn-Villaro- work is already on the job.” laroel showed leadership federal law.”
be the first Black woman el would become interim Gwinn-Villaroel thanked during a mass shooting at The report said the Louisville
to lead the embattled de- chief after Shields stepped Greenberg for taking a a downtown bank in April, police department “dis-
partment full-time, bringing down in January. “leap of faith” with her hir- when one of her officers criminates against Black
fresh hope to a force under “This is a challenging job,” ing. “I stand here today on was shot and wounded. people in its enforcement
a federal consent decree Greenberg said at a news the shoulders of so many She faces challenges in re- activities,” uses exces-
after years of scrutiny fol- conference Thursday. “And who paved the way for me cruiting new officers to a sive force and conducts
lowing the police shooting force that has about 250 searches based on invalid
of Breonna Taylor in 2020. job openings, and restoring warrants. It also said the
Louisville interim police community trust after the department violates the
chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Vil- U.S. Justice Department rights of people engaged
laroel is formally taking the announced in March that it in protected speech, like
job of new chief. Louisville had found Louisville police the street protests in the
Mayor Craig Greenberg engaged in a pattern of vi- city in the summer of 2020
announced Thursday that olating constitutional rights after Taylor’s death.
she was chosen after a na- and discrimination. Gwinn-Villaroel had served
tionwide search. The city That announcement, as the the third interim chief
has gone through several made by Attorney General since Taylor’s death. For-
chiefs and interim leaders Merrick Garland, followed mer longtime chief Steve
since the death of Taylor, a an investigation prompted Conrad was fired in 2020.
Black woman shot dead in by Taylor’s shooting. A Jus- Former interim chief Yvette
a police raid gone awry. tice Department report Gentry became the first
Gwinn-Villaroel came to found the Louisville/Jeffer- Black woman to serve in
Louisville from the Atlanta son County Metro Govern- that role when she was
Police Department in 2021 Louisville Metro Interim Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel ment and Louisville Metro hired in 2020, following an-
speaks to reporters during a news conference in Louisville, Ky.,
alongside former Chief Eri- April 10, 2023. Police Department “en- other interim chief that had
ka Shields, who hired her as Associated Press gage in a pattern or prac- succeeded Conrad.q