Dec. 27--A Chicago woman whose son was shot to death on Christmas Day 2014 has sued the city of Chicago and the police officers involved.
Sharon Woodall sued the city and unspecified police officers Wednesday on behalf of the estate of her son, Terrance Gilbert, 25. Gilbert was shot to death after having been outside on the front porch of his aunt's home in the 400 block of East Marquette Road about 6:40 p.m., according to the federal lawsuit.
Police said at the time of the shooting that Gilbert had been threatening suicide, and when officers arrived at the scene, charged at them with a knife, stabbing one officer twice in the vest. Gilbert started walking east and officers tried to get him to drop the knife, but Gilbert then "charged at the police officers again," and was shot, Chicago police Deputy Chief Berscott Ruiz said at the time.
The Independent Police Review Authority was investigating the shooting, but its website lists no results of an investigation.
Woodall's lawsuit calls the shooting "misconduct" and "excessive force," and says that officers "were aware of their fellow officer's misconduct, had a reasonable opportunity to intervene to protect ... Gilbert from harm, but failed to do so."
The lawsuit cites the IPRA's high proportion of findings that police shootings are justified, and says the city does not adequately discipline officers, even when a jury finds excessive force was used. The lawsuit specifically cites a 2009 jury award against Officer Jason Van Dyke, who is charged with murder in the Oct. 20, 2014, shooting of Laquan McDonald, and that because Van Dyke received no discipline he "was led to believe he could commit acts of excessive force with impunity."
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
A spokesman for the city's Law Department said the city has not yet reviewed the suit.
