A young Black man in Arizona said that he intends to sue the Phoenix Police Department after an encounter with the cops nearly cost him his life. After being shot, the man is now paralyzed and suing, alleging that he was wrongfully singled out.
As reported by Arizona Central, the Phoenix police reportedly responded to a call that someone was waving a gun to intimidate neighbors. When they arrived, authorities said they saw 21-year-old Devin Thompson sitting on a landscape wall with another male.
As the police cruiser was slowing, the officer hopped out with his gun drawn and began to chase Thompson who took off, per the body camera footage. About three seconds into the chase, the officer shot Thompson in his back and proceeded to arrest him on the ground.
“I didn’t do nothin!” he yelled in pain.
“You grabbed a gun, dude,” the police officer responded.
“No I didn’t. I didn’t,” Thompson cried.
Now there is a dispute over whether Thompson was armed at the time of the shooting or not. The police have said Thompson pulled a gun from his waistband and ran toward the officers. Thompson’s attorneys argued in a press conference announcing the suit that it was his cellphone. However, stills from the body camera video show a firearm floating in the air from Thompson’s hand as he runs away from the officer. Thompson’s attorneys argued the firearm wasn’t there at the time of the shooting.
The incident resulted in Thompson losing a lung, leaving him wheelchair bound. In the press conference, he explained the struggle of losing his ability to perform basic tasks like take a shower or put on clothes. He still faces two count of prohibited weapons, two counts of disorderly conduct and one count of aggravated assault.
Thompson has filed a notice of claim announcing his intentions to sue the Phoenix Police Department for $50 million, and he also sent a letter to the Department of Justice requesting federal oversight of the police department, per AZ Family News.