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DOTHAN, Ala. (AP) — A federal lawsuit accuses police of needlessly killing a man who had gone to an animal shelter to drop off a stray dog in Dothan, Alabama.
The lawsuit, filed by the estate of Robert Earl Lawrence, says Dothan police were called when Lawrence refused to show his driver license to the shelter's staff on Dec. 30, 2014.
The lawsuit states that the first officer to arrive deployed a stun gun on Lawrence, and that another officer then drew her gun and shot him in the abdomen.
Dothan's city attorney declined to comment Tuesday.
Police have said Lawrence considered himself a "sovereign citizen" and became disorderly after being told he couldn't leave the dog without showing identification. They said at the time that Lawrence was shot after a physical altercation.
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