William A. Cooper, 69 and known as Bootsy, was killed on June 18, 2011, inside his Clifton Street home in Hampton, Virginia, after Hampton Police executed a search warrant tied to an investigation of alleged prescription painkiller sales. Police say Cooper emerged from a hallway with a revolver and fired at officers; they returned fire and Cooper was struck multiple times and died at the scene.

Cooper’s family filed a $10 million wrongful death suit against three officers, arguing he was hearing and sight impaired, was given insufficient time to recognize officers at his door, and acted in self-defense. All drugs found in the home were prescribed to him. A judge dismissed the lawsuit for lack of evidence of gross negligence, and the estate’s subsequent appeals, including a request for U.S. Supreme Court review, were unsuccessful.

Are there readers who knew Cooper or who can shed light on his impairments or the events that morning?