Canyon Boykin, the Columbus police officer who shot and killed Ricky Ball in October, has dropped an appeal of his termination to the Civil Service Commission.
The city council fired Boykin roughly two weeks after Ball’s death, which happened on Oct. 16. Boykin, in a wrongful termination lawsuit he filed against the city Monday, claims he shot Ball in self-defense.
City attorney Jeff Turnage told The Dispatch this week that Boykin’s lawsuit was premature because Boykin’s appeal of his termination to the city’s Civil Service Commission was still pending.
Boykin formally dropped that appeal Thursday.
Jim Waide, a Tupelo-based attorney representing Boykin, said the appeal was dropped because it would be easier to ensure a trial before an impartial jury in federal court rather than before the Civil Service Commission.
“It would be impossible at this point to take this case before the Civil Service Commission with all the publicity,” Waide said. “Everyone in Columbus has some opinion on it. So we want an impartial jury trial. A jury trial is always the best way to find out what the truth of anything is.”
Boykin, in his lawsuit, seeks damages and to be reinstated.
The city released a statement from Turnage on Thursday in response to Boykin’s withdrawal of his appeal.
“We are confident that ending his employment was the proper and well-supported decision,” Turnage said.
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