A judge awarded nearly $600,000 to two sheriff's deputies shot in the line of duty by a tax delinquent who refused to vacate his residence.

Chester County Court Judge Robert J. Shenkin, who presided over a non-jury civil trial in June limited to a determination of damages, issued the decision last week against Walter J. Rosengarth. Shenkin ordered Rosengarth to pay $175,000 to James J. Boyd; $25,000 to his wife, Rosemarie Boyd; $350,000 to Joseph J. Smida 3d; and $45,000 to his wife, Kelly Ann Smida.

William J. Gallagher of MacElree Harvey, who represented Boyd and Smida, said yesterday that he was pleased with the outcome. "The judge was fair," he said.

"Clearly, there are no winners in this tragedy," said Rosengarth's civil attorney, Joseph P. Green, Jr.

According to court records, Rosengarth shot Boyd in the hand and Smida in the face on July 24, 2003, as they tried to evict him from his East Marlborough residence for failure to pay real estate taxes. Rosengarth surrendered after holding police at bay for more than three hours. Officers recovered more than 20 weapons and hundreds of rounds of ammunition from Rosengarth's residence, court records said.

In August, Rosengarth was found not guilty by reason of insanity of charges that he tried to kill four deputies and five police officers, and guilty but mentally ill of two sets of aggravated-assault charges for wounding Boyd and Smida.

This story originally appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer.