Chicago Injury Attorney Blog

In Illinois, the family of Marcellus Perry has filed a police brutality lawsuit against the Chicago police for his wrongful death. Perry was shot in the head by a police officer on June 11 during a foot chase.

Perry was riding in a car when two Chicago cops stopped the driver, Perry’s friend, for a traffic violation. Some witness accounts report that the cops drew their weapons fairly quickly and that is when Perry ran from the scene.

Police claim that the shooting was an accident and that Perry struck one of the cops, causing the police offer’s weapon to accidentally go off and strike the 22-year-old. Perry’s family is disputing the Chicago police’s account of what happened. There are witnesses that say that one of the Chicago police officers reportedly shot Perry while he had his back to the cop.

The Chicago police brutality lawyer representing Perry’s family says that Perry did not have any drugs or weapons on him at the time of the shooting.

Perry, who has two drug possession convictions on his criminal record, had just served half of a 3-year prison sentence at the Cook County Jail. He was on probation at the time of the police shooting. Perry’s mother, Desiree Barnes, says that her son was scared of police.

Police Brutality
Chicago police officers must never use excessive violence when questioning or apprehending a suspect. They also must never inflict unnecessary harm on someone by using excessive force—especially when that person does not pose a threat to them.

Over the years, there have been too many incidents of people getting hurt or abused because certain Chicago police officers used unnecessary measures when questioning a suspect, trying to make an arrest, or when persons have been in police custody. Just last month—in an unrelated case—the Chicago Explainer reported that the city had already approved $19.8 million in settlements for claims filed by just 4 out of the over 100 men who say they were tortured while in police custody during the 1980’s.

Family of man fatally shot by Chicago cop files lawsuit, Chicago Tribune, June 18, 2009

Family of slain man suing CPD, ABCLogal.go.com, June 18, 2009

How much has the city of Chicago paid out to victims of police torture?, Chicago Explainer, May 19, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Chicago Police

30 Cases of Extreme Police Brutality and Blatant Misconduct, Brainz.org

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Chicago Police Officer William Cozzi has been sentenced to 40 months in prison for the 2005 beating of a man that he had shackled to a wheelchair. The assault was caught on videotape.

In January, Cozzi pleaded guilty to the federal charge of excessive use of force against Randy Miles, a 60-year-old Norwegian American Hospital patient. Cozzi used a sap to strike Miles numerous times in front of hospital workers, security guards, and members of the public. The video also shows the Chicago police officer chaining Miles’s leg to a wheelchair.

Miles, who went to the hospital because of a stab wound, was reportedly verbally abusive to officers and uncooperative with hospital workers. He may have been intoxicated. Miles was charged with resisting arrest even though the video doesn’t show him resisting.

A state court initially ordered Cozzi to serve probation after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge over the Chicago police brutality incident. He was suspended from the police force for two years. However, Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weiss decided to involve federal authorities and they went on to indict him. Cozzi is scheduled to begin serving his prison sentence in August. The 40 month sentence is less than the 6 – 8 years that the federal government recommends.

Last year, the city of Chicago settled a police brutality lawsuit filed by Miles over the incident.

Chicago Police Brutality
Excessive use of force by police is unjustified. Police brutality can lead to serious personal injuries, including the violation of the victim’s civil rights. While this Chicago police brutality case is one that the authorities did not ignore and Cozzi was held accountable in criminal court, many reports of police violence are ignored or disregarded.

Cop gets 40 months in videotaped beating, Chicago Breaking News, June 11, 2009

Former Chicago cop William Cozzi sentenced to 40 months, Sun-Times, June 11, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Police Torture in Chicago, Chicago Reader

Police Brutality Cases Have Cost Chicago $20 Million, The Huffington Post, June 11, 2009

Continue reading "Chicago Police Brutality: Cop Gets 40 Months in Prison for Beating Man He had Shackled to Wheelchair" »

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The mother of a teenager who was Tasered by police has settled her Illinois police brutality lawsuit over his wrongful death. Roger Holyfield, 17, died in October 2006 following an altercation with police. The Illinois wrongful death lawsuit filed by Rita Cummings names the Jerseyville Police Department and the city of Jerseyville as defendants.

Court documents indicate that Holyfield was shouting “I want Jesus” and carrying a Bible when police approached him. The cops claim the boy became combative.

According to the police brutality complaint, Jerseyville cops used excessive and unreasonable force when they arrested Holyfield without sufficient cause. The complaint contends that he was handcuffed, armed, and on the ground facedown when police officers Tasered him a number of times.

Holyfield started throwing up. He was rushed to the hospital and died on the way there. According to the medical examiner, his died from natural causes as a result of excited delirium. His family, however, says that he died because of police brutality and the use of the Taser.

Exited delirium has been cited as a cause of death by people who were acting in a hyperactive or erratic way before dying while in police custody. It is a state that is often noted after a person has been Tasered by police and only shows up as a cause of death when the person was restrained. A special prosecutor who investigated Holyfield's case, however, says the two Jerseyville cops that confronted the teenager are not criminally liable for his death.

Use of Tasers by police to apprehend suspects has generated some controversy in light of the fact that some suspects have died after they were stunned by Tasers. Amnesty International says that Taser use is a factor in at least 350 fatalities. In December 2008, Amnesty reported that about 90% of Taser-elated deaths involving police were suspect who did not seem to pose a threat.

Illinois Police Brutality
Police are never allowed to use excessive force of any kind when questioning, apprehending, arresting, or guarding a suspect or a defendant. If you feel that you are a victim of police brutality, you may have grounds for filing a Chicago personal injury lawsuit.

Illinois mother settles stun gun wrongful death lawsuit, Justice News Flash, May 4, 2009

Settlement in Ill. teen death involving stun gun, Chicago Tribune, May 3, 2009

Taser Abuse in the United States, AmnestyUSA.org

Related Web Resource:
Less than Lethal, Amnesty USA (PDF)

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In Chicago, the family of an autistic teenager is accusing a local police officer of hitting their son. They say that 16-year-old Oscar Guzman was standing on the sidewalk outside his family’s fast-food restaurant in the Pilsen area on Wednesday night when he was questioned by two Chicago cops.

Because Guzman has autism, he wasn’t able to comprehend the questions and began walking away from the Chicago police officers. The cops went after him, and Guzman fled into the restaurant, shouting out that he is a “special boy.” His parents also told the cops that Guzman had special needs.

Despite their explanations, one police officer reportedly struck Guzman in the head with a baton and eight staples had to be put on his gash. His parents say they saw the Chicago police brutality attack. Guzman, who has mild autism, has the mental faculties of a 5th grader.

The Chicago Police Department is investigating the civil rights violation allegations. Guzman’s family says they may file a police brutality lawsuit against the cops.

The alleged Chicago police beating took place at a time when the police department is promoting its award-winning Crisis Intervention Team, which trains officer to be cognizant of citizens with disabilities or mental illnesses.

Autism
• 1 out of 160 children are diagnosed with autism.
• Police offices are seven times more likely to interact with a person who is developmentally disabled than a member of the general public.
• Certain characteristics associated with autism, such as ignoring questions and avoiding eye contact, are also the signs that officers are trained to watch out for when examining suspects.
• People with autism tend to be very sensitive and merely touching an autistic person can aggravate them.

Unfortunately, this is not the only incident in the US involving allegations that a police officer used excessive violence on someone with autism.

• A 12-year-old boy reportedly was Tasered by police because he refused to line up to have his picture taken.
• A local police chief yelled out to a crying autistic girl and her mother to leave a restaurant.

Family claims Chicago police officer beat autistic teenager, Chicago Tribune, April 25, 2009

Police Chief Orders Crying Autistic Child And Mother To Leave Restaurant, The Consumerist, July 14, 2008

A 12-year-old autistic boy got tased for making trouble at school, PoliceBrutalityInfo, March 3, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Autism Society of America

Chicago's finest under fire for brutality, CNN.com, September 28, 2007

Continue reading "Chicago Police Officers Accused of Beating Autistic Teen" »

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In Illinois, a man who says that two Alton police officers beat him so severely that he sustained brain damage is suing the two cops, the city of Alton, and the Alton Police Department for personal injury. Russell K. Cox is seeking over $300,000 plus additional relief.

The Godfrey resident says that on April 24, 2008, Lt. William Taul and Police Officer James Hunter approached him on the street. The two cops allegedly hit him with their hands, flashlights, and fists, threw him onto the ground, sprayed him with some substance, and jolted him with an electroshock-like device. Cox says that he sustained personal injuries, including brain damage, a concussion, permanent hearing loss, extended mental pain, physical pain, suffering, and disability. He also incurred medical expenses.

The Illinois police brutality lawsuit accuses the two men of assault and battery, failing to exercise due care for the plaintiff’s safety, and not obeying procedures and policies that prohibit excessive force. Cox is suing the the city of Alton and its police department for the violent police assault and battery incident, failing to exercise the due care necessary to ensure his safety, failing to set up the proper procedures, failing to train police officers on not using excessive force, and failing to obey policies that bar the practice of police brutality.

Brain Damage
Brain damage can seriously impair a person’s ability to function properly—especially if the brain injury is severe and permanent. Depending on the type of brain injury, the victim's memory, judgment, any of the five senses, the ability to communicate, the ability to stay cognizant, his or her personality, libido, and ability to complete routine tasks can all be affected.

Brain injuries are often catastrophic, costly injuries that wreak havoc on the lives of the injured party and family members.

Godfrey man claims brain damage after Alton police allegedly assault him, The Record, April 8, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Traumatic Brain Injury Information Page

Use of Force By Police: Overview of National and Local Data, US Department of Justice

Continue reading "Chicago Personal Injury: Illinois Man Sues Police for Brain Injury Sustained During Alleged Police Brutality Incident" »

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Posted In: Personal Injury , Police Brutality/Civil Rights Violations , Traumatic Brain Injuries

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In Cook County Circuit Court, six months after 17-year-old Marvin Williams was shot to death after being apprehended by Chicago police, his mother is suing the city for her son’s wrongful death. The tragic shooting incident happened on September 16, 2008 while he was being arrested.

Chicago police arrived at South Marshfield Avenue after someone reported gunfire. They spotted a vehicle matching the description of one connected to the shooting and pulled it over. Police say that one of the officer’s was confronted by an armed offender and the cop fired his weapon, hitting Marvin. The Cook County medical examiner’s office says the teenager was shot several times. The Independent Police Review Authority has been investigating the shooting incident.

Demetria Williams’s wrongful death lawsuit is accusing the Chicago police of using unnecessary deadly force, recklessly removing the safety of the gun, and intentionally discharging the gun while it was pointed at him. Her complaint is claiming false arrest, false imprisonment, and survival action.

Police Brutality
Chicago police officers are required to restrain themselves from using excessive force when apprehending suspects. Police brutality is a violation of a person’s human rights even if they have been arrested, charged with, or convicted for committing a crime.

According to a Chicago Tribune investigation in 2007, a review of over 200 police shooting cases over a 10-year period revealed that police probes tend to use a separate set of standard of justice. In at least 12 incidents, police officers shot civilians who weren’t even facing them. They have also been known to shoot people who were unarmed and/or innocent.

Out of the 100 people that were killed and the 250 others injured in Chicago police shootings that took place over a decade, less than 1% of these shooting incidents were considered unjustified. Also, during some investigations into police shootings, the newspaper's probe found that witnesses were frequently not sworn in and conversations were not recorded.

Chicago police shootings have resulted in $59 million in police brutality settlements and verdicts against the city of Chicago.

Mom Sues City In September Shooting Death of Son, WBBM Radio, March 7, 2009

The rush to clear police in shootings, Chicago Tribune, December 5, 2007

Related Web Resources:
Chicago Police Department

Chicago's finest under fire for brutality, CNN.com, September 28, 2007

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In Chicago, Illinois, Police Superintendent Jody Weis has until 4pm on Friday to turn over a list of names of Chicago officers who have received at least five citizen complaints since 2000. So far, he has refused to obey US Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez’s orders.

The list of “repeaters” has been requested in connection to a Chicago police brutality lawsuit involving a Chicago police officer that allegedly falsely arrested and used excessive force on two children. Donna Moore, who is the mother of the 11-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl who were arrested in a playground incident, filed the Chicago police brutality lawsuit.

One of the Chicago lawyers seeking the list for his client’s case says he wants to show that the Chicago Police Department has exhibited a pattern of hiding police misconduct. Weiss, however, says that turning over the names would threaten the officers’ safety, compromise their performance when dealing with future incidents, ruin good reputations, and decrease morale. The City of Chicago has proposed producing a redacted list that doesn’t reveal the names.

In an unrelated Chicago police brutality lawsuit, the city of Chicago is combating a judge’s request to release a list that names 662 Chicago cops who received 10 or more citizen complaints between 2001 and 2006. Over two dozen Chicago aldermen are also seeking the list.

Chicago Police Misconduct
If you believe you are the victim of misconduct or are aware of an incident involving misconduct or excessive use of violence by a Chicago police officer, you can file a complaint of misconduct by contacting the city of Chicago’s Independent Police Review Authority at (312) 745-9594 or at 10 West 35th Street, 12th Floor, Chicago, IL 60616.

You also should speak with an experienced Chicago police brutality law firm to explore your options for financial recovery.

Weis to judge: Can't have list of most reported cops, Chicago Sun-TImes, February 23, 2009

Chicago's top cop defies judges in abuse suit, AP, February 23, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Chicago's Finest Under Fire for Police Brutality, September 28, 2007

Chicago Police Department

Chicago Police Board

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A federal investigation into whether Chicago police officers tortured murder suspects has expanded its focus to include six more detectives who have been linked to former Cmdr. John Burge and the police precincts where he worked on the South Side during the 1980’s. Burge, who was fired from his position in 1993, was indicted on obstruction of justice and perjury charges last fall.

He pleaded not guilty to federal charges that he lied while under oath when he denied that he and other police officers had engaged in police torture so that murder suspects would confess. Burge's criminal trial is scheduled for May 2009.

Among the evidence prosecutors are examining are medical records that could corroborate claims of Chicago police brutality. In one alleged incident of police torture, Andrew Wilson says he was shocked, beaten, and forced to put his stomach and chest on a hot radiator while Burge and other officers coerced him into confessing to the murder of two cops. There are photographs documenting Wilson’s burn marks and facial injuries.

Another suspect, Gregory Banks, says detectives put a plastic bag over his head so he would confess to murder. Seven years into Banks's prison sentence, the Illinois Appellate Court found that he made his confession while under duress of police brutality. He was awarded a new trial. Banks also filed a federal lawsuit for civil rights violations and won $92,000.

This month, David Fauntleroy was cleared of all wrongdoing after serving 25 years of a life sentence in prison. Fauntleroy has always said that Chicago police detectives who worked under Burge had tortured him so that he would confess to robbery and murder. James Andrews, a co-defendant who was convicted of the same crimes and who had implicated Fauntleroy, was released from prison last year. Andrews also has said that Chicago police tortured him.

Police torture or any other form of police brutality is a crime and a violation of one's civil rights.

U.S. investigation of Chicago police torture widens to include colleagues of Jon Burge, Chicago Tribune, February 4, 2009

Conviction out, man to walk free, Chicago Tribune, January 10, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Chicago Police Department

Human Rights at Home: The Chicago Police Torture Archive

Continue reading "Federal Prosecutors Expand Probe Into Whether Chicago Police Tortured Murder Suspects" »

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In Illinois, the parents of two teenagers are suing the city of Chicago, the Chicago Board of Education, an unidentified police officer, ASPIRA Inc., and the school’s principal for allegedly violating their daughters' civil rights. The Chicago Sun Times reports that another student was also summoned for the strip search, but her family are not plaintiffs in this case.

The girls, 14, were taken from their classrooms on December 20, 2007 and strip searched by a female police officer who was looking for a lighter that may have been used to start a small fire at the high school. The lawsuit claims that the officer, who was a uniformed security guard, reached under the teenagers' blouses and told them to take off their pants and underwear. The police officer also allegedly told them to “squat and cough” for a cavity search. At one point, the guard allegedly put her hand on her gun to intimidate the teenagers. One of the girl’s mothers says her daughter felt violated, embarrassed, and ashamed because of the incident.

Chicago Public Schools is conducting an investigation into the search, as is the Chicago Police Department's Internal Affairs Division. ASPIRA has been warned that CPS could withdraw its charter if corrective steps are not taken.

The girls were reportedly never informed that they were suspects in the fire incident and their parents were never contacted prior to the search. According to the plaintiffs’ Chicago attorney, this violates the teenagers constitutional rights against unreasonable searches and seizures. He also contends that the security guard did not have probable cause to search the girls.

Intimidation as Police Brutality
Intimidation is a form of police brutality that can lead to emotional and psychological trauma and can be grounds for a personal injury lawsuit. Chicago police officers and other law enforcement officials are supposed to protect, not violate one's civil rights.

Mom: I don't send my kids to school to be strip searched, Chicago Sun Times, January 7, 2009

Strip search of teens in Chicago school under investigation, Boston Herald, January 9, 2009

Related Web Resources:

Communities United Against Police Brutality

Shielded from Justice, HRW.org

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Another police brutality lawsuit has been filed against the Chicago police for allegedly harassing black residents who were celebrating President-elect Barack Obama’s victory on Election Night. There are 22 black plaintiffs named in this latest lawsuit, which was filed in federal court.

According to the lawsuit, nine Chicago cops swore at and discharged pepper spray at the plaintiffs, who were peacefully celebrating outside their homes. One cop allegedly beat a man, while police Tasered another plaintiff. Another officer is accused of grabbing and breaking a cell phone belonging to someone who was trying to record the attacks.

One of the plaintiffs was charged with reckless conduct while two plaintiffs were charged with obstructing an officer. All of the charges have been dropped. The plaintiffs’ attorney says he believe the attacks were racially motivated.

This latest lawsuit is the third one filed this month accusing other Chicago police officers of engaging in similar racially motivated attacks of police brutality on Election Night. On November 13, eight people filed a federal lawsuit accusing Chicago cops of hitting them with pepper spray, assaulting them with profanity and racial insults, and knocking down their door after they ran into the house to escape police. They were also outside their home celebrating President Obama’s election win when the alleged attack happened.

The plaintiffs are accusing the Chicago police officers of battery, use of excessive force, unlawful search and seizure, and committing a hate crime. Their lawsuit seeks at least $200,000 in damages.

Another lawsuit, filed by Cornelius Voss and Christine Ballard, accuses Chicago police of harassing them and other family members while they were riding in their car and cheering Obama’s victory. The couple claims that Chicago cops in an unmarked squad car attacked them with pepper spray and racial insults.

22 people sue Chicago police over more alleged Election Night abuse, Chicago Tribune.com, November 22, 2008

Police sued for election night incident, Chicago Breaking News, November 13, 2008

Police Pepper-Sprayed Us for Celebrating Obama Win, Family Claims, NBCChicago.com, November 7, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Top 5 Police Brutality Videos, Huffington Post, July 30, 2008

Police brutality cases on rise since 9/11, USA Today, December 17, 2008

Continue reading "Third Lawsuit Accuses Chicago City Police of Harassing Black Residents on Election Night" »

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An African-American Chicago family has filed an Illinois police brutality lawsuit accusing four unnamed cops of hate crimes, excessive use of force, and battery. The incident allegedly occurred on Election Night, while the rest of the United States was celebrating the election of Barack Obama as the country’s first black president.

According to Christine Ballard and Cornelius Voss, they were cheering the victory of President-Elect Obama while riding in their car with their two daughters and a niece on West Division Street at around 10:30pm when a man in the vehicle next to theirs called them the “n-word,” said “white power,” and assaulted them with pepper spray.

Voss says his wife and the girls were screaming and crying because the pepper spray got in their eyes, and he took them to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park for treatment of their injuries. He and Ballard say that they believe the four men riding in the car next to them were Chicago cops because of the vehicle’s license plate.

The family tried filing a complaint with the Austin District police that night. However, they were told that they could not do so because all of the district’s cops were working the streets. They again experienced difficulties when they tried reporting the incident to police on Wednesday. The family finally filed a report with the Independent Police Review Authority.

Ballard and Voss are seeking over $150,000 in damages.

According to the Chicago IPRA, this was not the only allegation they received accusing Chicago cops of using pepper spray on civilians on Election night. There are up to 50 unconfirmed reports of similar incidents in the Austin area last Tuesday that allegedly involved police officers.

Police Brutality
Police officers are not allowed to use excessive or unreasonable force on anyone at any time. If you have been harassed, assaulted, or verbally abused by a Chicago cop or any other police officer in the state of Illinois, your civil rights have been violated and you may be entitled to compensation for the harm you have suffered.

Suit: Kids celebrating election pepper-sprayed, taunted by police, November 7, 2008

Family alleges police attack election night, ABC News, November 7, 2008

Related Web Resources:

City of Chicago Independent Police Review Authority

Communities United Against Police Brutality

Continue reading " Chicago Family Says They Were Victims of Police Brutality on Election Night" »

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In Illinois, prosecutors are expanding their probe into claims that Chicago police officers used "torture" tactics, including beatings, Russian roulette, and electric shock, on criminal suspects in order to obtain confessions. On Monday, ex-Chicago police commander Jon Burge pleaded not guilty to federal charges that he lied about torture while he was in charge of the Chicago police department’s Area 2 violent crimes division on the South Side.

Burge was arrested last week on charges of obstruction of justice and perjury. He also is accused of lying under of oath when he testified in an Illinois civil rights lawsuit that accused him and the Chicago cops who worked for him of using torture to get suspects to confess.

The former Chicago police chief was fired from the police department in 1993. Burge’s criminal trial is scheduled for May 11, 2009. He is free on $250,000 bond.

According to the Chicago-Sun Times, one woman who was at the courthouse on Monday to watch Burge’s arraignment says that the ex-Chicago police chief forced her 16-year-old brother to confess to a crime by hanging him upside down outside a window.

In 2006, two special prosecutors determined that Chicago police officers abused a number of black suspects at Area 2 during the 70’s and 80’s in an effort to get them to confess. The prosecutors, however, also determined that the statute of limitations had passed for them to file criminal charges against Burge or anyone else who was allegedly involved. Prosecutors say that charging Burge with lying about the alleged torture during the civil rights lawsuit is better than not charging him at all.

In another civil rights lawsuit, former Death Row prisoner Darrel Cannon is suing Burge and a number of detectives. Cannon is accusing the police officers of pretending to load a gun before putting it in his mouth and pulling the trigger, as well as shocking him with an electric cattle prod, to get him to confess to a murder he did not commit. The detectives named in Cannon’s lawsuit have denied his allegations.

Recently, the city of Chicago agreed to pay $20 million to settle lawsuits with four ex-inmates who claim that police tortured them.

Police Brutality
Any act of police brutality violates Section 1983 of the Federal Civil Rights Act. If you have been a victim of police brutality in Chicago or any other city in Illinois, you may be able to file an Illinois personal injury lawsuit to recover financial compensation.

Ex-Chicago cop Burge arrested in torture cases, Chicago Sun-Times, October 28, 2008

Jon Burge Pleads Not Guilty, MyFoxChicago.com, October 27, 2008

Related Web Resources

Truth in Justice

Police Brutality in the US, HRW.org

Continue reading "Prosecutors Expand Chicago Police Torture Investigation in Illinois" »

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A paralyzed man convicted of resisting arrest and hitting a Chicago police officer in a 2006 incident is suing the city and several of its police officers for violating his civil rights. Daniel Casares, who is a quadriplegic, says that police pulled him from his vehicle and beat him even after he told them that he was paralyzed and could not get out of the car.

He also says that because of physical condition, he does not have the physical ability to strike the officer he was convicted of hitting. Casares is unable to move his legs and has limited range of motion in his arms.

The alleged police brutality incident happened while Casares was sitting in the passenger side of his car next to his brother. Chicago police arrived to arrest his brother, who was under suspicion of using marijuana. Casares was ordered to exit the vehicle, and this is when he says he repeatedly told them he was unable to get out of the car.

Three police officers that testified at Casares’s criminal trial offer a different account. They claim that they never drew their guns during the altercation and accuse Casares of hitting a female cop when she asked him to exit his car.

Police Brutality
In 2007, CNN published statistics reporting that the City of Chicago received over 10,000 complaints against its police officers between 2002 and 2004. Many of these reports alleged assault and brutality.

Man paralyzed since 2002 files suit saying he was beaten by Chicago cops in '06, Chicago Tribune, July 24, 2008

Chicago's Finest Under Fire for Brutality, CNN.com, September 28, 2007

Related Web Resources:

983 Civil Action for Deprivation of Rights

City of Chicago Police

Continue reading "Quadriplegic Man Files a Lawsuit Accusing Chicago Police of Beating Him" »

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The family of a man that died in an accidental shooting incident involving the Danville police is suing the city and the police officer involved. Aaron Moss, 27, was killed in 2006 after Officer Troy Wasson shot him twice during a foot pursuit.

The lawsuit, filed in US District Court in Urbana, alleges excessive force and wrongful death. Moss’s family is asking for over $1 million in damages and accuses Wasson of acting “maliciously, willfully, and wantonly” in Moss’s death.

The complaint reports that on May 30, 2006, Moss and another man had just ended an argument when the police arrived. Moss fled from the scene and was chased by Danville police.

Office Wasson allegedly pulled out a taser, but when he encountered Moss, he shot him in the arm and the back with a gun. The lawsuit claims that Moss was not armed and that Officer Wasson told a woman who offered to perform CPR on Moss to go away.

A sheriff’s department investigation, however, claims that Moss had a loaded gun. The police probe determined that Wasson was not at fault and absolved him of doing anything wrong.

Justice Department Statistics that from 2001 to 2007, there was an increase in the number of reported incidents involving the use of excessive force by law enforcement officers compared to the seven years prior. Many police brutality cases were reportedly not prosecuted.

Examples of police brutality include:

• Brutal chokings
• Unjustified shootings
• Beatings
• Sexual assault
• Verbal violence

Family sues city, police officer, Commercial-News, July 10, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Shielded from Justice, HRW.org

Communities United Against Police Brutality

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