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Monday, February 08, 2016

Chicago officer sues estate of teen he shot, claiming trauma

CHICAGO (AP) — A white Chicago police officer who fatally shot a black 19-year-old college student and accidentally killed a neighbor has filed a lawsuit against the teenager's estate, arguing the shooting left him traumatized.

The highly unusual suit was filed Friday in the middle of the city's effort to grapple with serious questions about the future of its police force. Those questions include the adequacy of its system for investigating police shootings and how to win back public trust after several cases of alleged misconduct. The U.S. Justice Department is conducting a wide-ranging civil rights investigation, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel has promised a major overhaul of the Police Department and steps to heal its fraught relationship with black residents.

The timing and unusual nature of the suit by officer Robert Rialmo, who is seeking $10 million in damages, could complicate the department's efforts to demonstrate more sensitivity toward the community in how police shootings are handled. His attorney, Joel Brodsky, said it was important in the charged atmosphere to send a message that police are "not targets for assaults" and "suffer damage like anybody else."

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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's fair.

Anonymous said...

Sounds good too me.

Anonymous said...

We're traumatized by reading about it. Can we get in on the claim?

Anonymous said...

The people who fail as parents are damaging our society and should be held accountable.

Anonymous said...

I'm traumatized by the Oregon State Police assassinating LaVoy Finicum. I want my money from that so I can spend it before they assassinate me and my neighbors because they think we "may be armed".

Anonymous said...

I think we should all sue Freddy Brown's estate for damages done in Baltimore. When the six officers are cleared they need to sue the crap out of the Browns and Baltimore. Enough is enough. Hell throw Blake and Mosely in as well.

Anonymous said...

We live such a litigious society today. This 'unusual suit' is just further evidence of it.