Illinois family files lawsuit after unarmed Black boy was shot in the knee during police raid
An Illinois mom has filed a lawsuit against the police department over a raid in which her unarmed 12-year-old son was shot in the knee.
A mom has filed a lawsuit alleging that Illinois police officers barged into her home while the family was asleep and shot her unarmed 12-year-old son in the knee, shattering it.
The mother of 12-year-old Amir Worship is outraged and says in a lawsuit filed Thursday that as her family was asleep when two dozen SWAT team members converged on her home with arrest warrants for her boyfriend.
With assault rifles in hand, her attorney Al Hofeld alleges that officers from the Country Club Hills Police Department and the Richton Park Police Department entered the Worship home while Crystal Worship, her three sons, and her boyfriend slept. Worship’s boyfriend was wanted on charges of drug possession and possession of weapons with an expired permit, CBS Chicago reported.
The charges were reportedly later dropped.
“We’re home in bed, the kids were sleeping,” Worship said.
Amir, with his hands up, sat on his bed as officers raided his room with guns drawn. One officer allegedly had a flashlight in hand, and as he tried to put it away and put his hand on his weapon, it discharged and shot Amir in the knee, The Daily Beast reported.
His kneecap was shattered.
Furthermore, the family claims that the officer tried to hide the name on his badge and covered his camera with black tape. Then other officers reportedly lied to try to appease the upset mother as she tried to get into her son’s room. An officer allegedly held her back by her neck, and they reportedly told her none of her children had been shot. The officer also reportedly told her instead that someone outside the home had been hit, the outlet reported.
“As soon as it was clear that this 12-year-old boy didn’t pose any threat, and there was no one else in the room who posed any threat, he should have moved his gun down, put it on the safety position so it could never be discharged,” Hofield told CBS Chicago.
The mom was also reportedly barred from going to the hospital with her son.
—Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot heard calling police union VP “clown” on hot mic—
The concerned mom said her son Amir is “terrified of the police.”
Worship said it would be a long road back to recovery for Amir after undergoing surgery.
The Worship family is suing for $50,000 in damages for negligence, willful and wanton conduct, assault, battery, and false imprisonment, the Daily Beast reported. Crystal is also trying to move her family out of Chicago to Texas.
“I have nightmares, and I stay up all night because I think they’re going to come back,” Worship said.
