A former Fulton County police officer involved in a gun fight with a drunken off-duty Duluth officer is awarded nearly $15 million by a Gwinnett County jury.

Paul Phillips was on his way home to Sugar Hill after working an extra job in Alpharetta in 2008 when he drove upon the scene on Level Creek Road where a woman had been attacked by Jay Dailey who was also off-duty and in civilian clothes. When Dailey spotted Phillips, he opened fire on the Fulton County officer and the two began a shootout.

Both were hit, but Phillips’ wound destroyed muscle in his left arm leaving him unable to use his hand and in constant pain.  It also destroyed his 12-year career in law enforcement.

Dailey was found guilty on nine counts and sentenced to 60 years in prison.

In his civil suit against Dailey, Phillips was awarded $7.5 million in punitive damages and just over $6 million in compensatory damages plus attorney fees.  His wife, Stephanie, was also awarded $1 million.

While Phillips knows he will likely never see a dime from Dailey, he feels validated by the jury’s decision.

“These numbers mean people care about those who take care of them,” he tells WSB’s Sandra Parrish.  “It means that they will not stand idly by and let the peacekeepers of this community be harmed.”

Phillips works part-time for a friend’s computer company when the economy allows, but admits his family struggles financially.

They nearly lost their home three years ago but the community stepped forward to help them keep it.

Even so, Phillips says he wouldn’t have done anything differently that day in 2008.

“I’ve gone through it 10 billion times and there’s no way I could have made a different decision,” he says.