From [HERE] The family of a 13-year-old Black boy filed a federal lawsuit Thursday accusing an officer of needlessly shooting the unarmed youth in the back during a foot chase. The incident occurred on May 18, 2022, in the 800 block of North Cicero Avenue in Chicago. The shooting occurred in the community area of Austin on the City’s West Side. More than 75% of the community residents of Austin are African American.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court on behalf of the teen’s mother, Cierra Corbitt, lists the city and the unidentified officer who fired the shot as defendants and alleged the shooting was a direct result of the city’s failed implementation of a new policy governing “inherently dangerous” foot pursuits.

The teen, who is Black and in seventh grade, is identified only by his initials, A.G. The lawsuit stated that A.G. is currently lying in Stroger Cook County Hospital “with a bullet still lodged in his body after being shot in the back” by the officer on May 18.

To justify the shooting the dependent media has parroted the police claim that the 13-year-old possibly was linked to a carjacking. It should go without saying that said allegation has no relevance as to whether the police conduct was lawful or moral.

The officer involved has been relieved of his police powers pending an investigation (paid vacation), the Chicago Police Department has said. The officer has not been charged.

The complaint states:

This is A.G. He is a young Black seventh grader. He is 13 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall, and weighs 122 pounds. 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 (“CPD”). A.G. and his family are waiting to learn whether he will ever be able to walk again. The bullet in A.G.’s body was fired from the gun of a CPD officer. The officer was chasing A.G. and, according to witness statements, was screaming for him to stop running and put his hands up. A.G. was unarmed and did as he was instructed. But the officer still shot him – recklessly, callously, and wantonly – right through his back.

CPD’s shooting was wholly unjustified as A.G. was running away from the shooter, he was unarmed, and he posed no threat of harm to the officer who shot him or anyone in the vicinity. Multiple witnesses at the scene reported that A.G. was complying with the officers’ directive for him to put his hands up – and indeed his hands were up – when John Doe Officer shot him.

While A.G. survived the shooting, he has been permanently and catastrophically injured and remains hospitalized.

While the City of Chicago is currently subject to a Consent Decree to address CPD’s long sordid history of using excessive force, leadership within the City and CPD have not taken those efforts seriously. As a result, there remains a widespread pattern and practice of using excessive force, including deadly force, against African Americans.

According to the complaint: the facts are as follows:

On the evening of May 18, 2022, A.G. was riding as a passenger in a Honda Accord. CPD was in pursuit of the car. As the car was driving west on Rice Street towards Cicero Avenue, A.G. got out of the car and ran. As A.G. was running south on Cicero Avenue through the lot of a Marathon gas station, there were several CPD officers on foot chasing him from behind. There were also several police vehicles nearby, in addition to a CPD helicopter overhead.

According to witness accounts, while A.G. was running he was told by one or more of the pursuing CPD officers to put his hands up. A.G. did as he was directed; he put his hands up with the intent of surrendering to the police.

At or about the same time, John Doe Officer, who was running behind A.G. with his gun unholstered, shot A.G. without cause or justification, causing A.G. to sustain catastrophic and permanent injuries.

A.G. immediately collapsed in the lot of the Marathon gas station. CPD officers did not render immediate aide to A.G., but instead callously dragged him across the pavement and then turned their attention to an uninjured officer who crashed into a sign at the gas station while arriving on scene.

A.G. did not have a weapon or do anything to make John Doe Officer believe that he was armed or dangerous. A.G. did not pose an imminent threat of death or great bodily harm to John Doe Officer (who was running behind him) or to anyone.

As a result of the unjustified shooting by John Doe Officer, A.G. has (so far) been diagnosed with the following injuries:

1. gunshot wound;

2. complete lesion at T7-T10 level of thoracic spinal cord;

3. T10 spinal cord injury;

4. fracture of lamina of thoracic vertebrae;

5. fracture of transverse process of thoracic vertebrae;

6. fracture of spinous process of thoracic vertebrae;

7. retained magnetic metal foreign body;

8. multiplefracturesofribs;

9. hemothorax (collection of blood between the chest and lungs);

10. acute blood loss anemia;

11. bilateral pulmonary contusion;

12. esophageal injury; and

13. impaired mobility and ADLs.