Pubdate: Fri, 15 Dec 2006 Source: Ledger, The (Lakeland, FL) Copyright: 2006 The Ledger Contact: http://www.theledger.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/795 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/raids.htm (Drug Raids) MISTRIAL DECLARED IN SHERIFF'S OFFICE SUIT A mistrial was declared Thursday in a federal lawsuit brought against the Polk County Sheriff's Office by the family of a 22-year-old Lakeland man, Jason Michael Britt, who was killed in a drug raid in 2002. His father, Joel Britt, alleges in the lawsuit that an undercover sheriff's deputy was reckless when he shot and killed Jason Britt during a drug raid. The lawsuit contends Deputy Michael Burdette used excessive force. The Sheriff's Office said Jason Britt threatened Burdette with a baseball bat. The trial, in the courtroom of U.S. District Court Judge James Whittemore, is expected to be rescheduled within the first six months of 2007, according to the Sheriff's Office. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake