The parents of a boy shot to death on the University of South Alabama campus have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the school, the officer that killed him and the chief of police, as reported by Alabama.com.
G.C., 18 at the time of his death on October 6, was naked and unarmed at the time he approached a campus police station. The suit alleges that the officer that shot G.C. was wrong in surmising that he was a threat and had unjustly violated policies regarding the use of deadly force.
The defendants are listed as the University of South Alabama, Officer T.A. and USA Chief of Police Z.A.
The shooting occurred on October 6, 2012 at approximately 1 a.m. G.C. allegedly behaved in an erratic manner when he approached the campus police station, which caused Officer T.A. to grow alarmed.
However, according to Montgomery-based attorney Jere Beasley, who spoke with reporters on December 3, the officer behaved irrationally.
Beasley said, "There was no justification for shooting the young man."
When G.C. began to pound of the police station's window, Officer T.A. responded by exiting the station – with his gun drawn.
The university issued a statement after the shooting. The statement said that G.C. rushed and verbally challenged the officer several times. When G.C. failed to respond to the officer ordering him to stop, and continued to rush Officer T.A., the officer shot him once.
Beasley stated that T.A., who couldn't have felt that his life was threatened by a clearly unarmed man – G.C. was completely naked – the officer should not have fired his gun.
Beasley said that pepper spray or the officer's baton would have sufficed to control the young man's behavior.
Along with monetary damages yet to be specified, and injunctive relief, the suit seeks a change how the university police are taught. Improved police training is asked for so that officers would know how to respond, if a situation similar to G.C.'s were to occur again.
According to Beasley the family plans on taking any monetary jury award and turning it into a scholarship fund in their son's name.
Beasley added, "The family feels strongly this should have not had happened. They really want this not to happen to anyone else in the future."
An investigation, as to whether using deadly force was justified, is being currently conducted by the Mobile District Attorney's Office.
Keith Ayers, the director of public relations for the university said, "It is inappropriate to comment since the district attorney's investigation is not complete."
Though toxicology reports are not yet available, the Mobile County Sheriff's Office stated that an investigation discovered that G.C. was on LSD at the time of his death.
Beasley has stated that G.C. may have ingested something, not LSD, which would have made him behave in an irrational manner. Beasley said, "He was not a perfect young fellow, but he was close."
As G.C.'s parents were frustrated with the university's response they felt compelled to file the suit, according to Beasley. Beasley concluded, "They would have appreciated it very much if somebody from the university had simply said we're sorry. The officer used poor judgment. He was at fault. Instead, the entire effort has been to paint (G.C.) as a villain."
Loosing a loved one due to a wrongful death, with the knowledge that it didn't have to occur, is grounds for a lawsuit. Contact a personal injury lawyer to file your wrongful death lawsuit.