Attorneys for the unidentified 13-year-old boy said their client, who was a suspect in several carjackings, may never be able to walk again.
A recently filed lawsuit alleges that Chicago police officers shot a 13-year-old boy, who had raised his hands in surrender just before law enforcement opened fire.
According to The Associated Press, the lawsuit was filed Thursday by the boy’s family.
The plaintiff is identified in legal documents only by his initials, A.G.
“A.G. is currently lying in a hospital bed with a bullet still lodged in his body after being shot in the back by an officer with the Chicago Police Department,” the lawsuit states. “A.G. and his family are waiting to learn whether he will ever be able to walk again.”
The lawsuit names as defendants the individual officer—who has not been publicly named—and the City of Chicago.
Police say that the 13-year-old African-American teenager was a suspect in a carjacking.
When law enforcement tried to stop the vehicle, A.G. “jumped out and started running.”
Despite the police’s initial statement, A.G. has yet to be charged with any crime.
The lawsuit asserts that that the seventh grader—who had been a passenger in the vehicle—complied with officers’ orders to surrender after he tried to run. A.G. “was unarmed and did as he was instructed. But the officer still shot him—recklessly, callously, and wantonly—right through his back.”
“While A.G. survived the shooting, he has been permanently and catastrophically injured and remains hospitalized,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit further alleges that the shooting is but a continuation of the Chicago Police Department’s alleged culture of misconduct.
After the fatal 2014 police shooting of Laquan McDonald—and an ensuing federal investigation—the C.P.D. agreed to make certain procedural changes.
However, an independent report released last month found that Chicago never implemented its revised foot pursuit policies.
“Tragically, the deep-seated systemic problems that led to the entry of the Consent Decree—implicit bias and failures in training, supervision, and accountability—still exist today,” the lawsuit states. “A.G. is the latest victim of C.P.D.’s systemic failures.”
The boy’s family is seeking damages for A.G.’s past, present, and anticipated medical expenses. They have requested a jury trial.
Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said last week that A.G. was suspected of involvement in two recent carjackings.
However, Brown told the media the department is still conducting its own investigation and is limited in what it can discuss.
“This investigation will reveal the facts,” Brown said, adding that the Chicago Civilian Office of Police Accountability will receive the department’s full cooperation.
COPA said that is “committed to a full and thorough investigation into the officer’s user of force to determine if their actions were in accordance with Department policy and training.”
Sources
Lawsuit: 13-year-old’s hands up when shot by Chicago police
Lawsuit alleges Chicago police officer ‘recklessly’ shot 13-year-old carjacking suspect
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