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WETHERSFIELD The father of an 18-year-old killed by a town police officer in 2019 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit and claims his sons civil rights were violated.

The lawsuit names the town of Wethersfield and former Wethersfield Police Officer Layau Eulizier as defendants in the April 2019 shooting death of Anthony Vega-Cruz.

Gary Evans, town manager for Wethersfield, said the town has not yet been served, adding that we wont take any action until or unless that happens.

The suit seeks an unspecified amount of damages for Jose Vega-Cruz, the teens father, and attorney fees. It was filed last week by nationally-renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump and his legal team.

Eulizier shot and killed Anthony Vega-Cruz during a traffic stop on Silas Deane Highway on April 20, 2019. Nearly a year later, the shooting was ruled justified under Connecticut law by the States Attorney for the Judicial District of Hartford.

The shooting later sparked legislation preventing police from positioning themselves in front of a fleeing vehicle, and prohibiting officers from shooting into the vehicle unless there is an imminent threat of death.

Euliziers actions and inactions ... heightened the risk of a deadly encounter, the lawsuit alleges. Eulizier failed to use reasonable caution in attempting to apprehend (Vega-Cruz).

Vega-Cruz was killed after police tried to pull him over for illegal window tints and a license plate belonging to a different vehicle with a suspended registration, according to an incident report.

According to the report, Vega-Cruz pulled over, but then sped away as the officer got out of his car, leading to a chase.

Eulizier, who had been getting food when the call came over the radio, responded and struck the front end of the car with his police cruiser, the report said.

Eulizier then got out of his cruiser and stood in front of Vega-Cruzs vehicle with his weapon drawn, according to the report and video footage of the incident.

As the vehicle reversed, the officer fired two shots, one of which struck Vega-Cruz in the head, the report said. He was later pronounced dead at Hartford Hospital.

The suit also claims that either the Wethersfield Police Department had an inadequate policy and training with regards to shooting at moving and occupied vehicles, or Eulizier violated the Wethersfield Police Departments policy and committed a felony.

The lawsuit alleges Euliziers use of deadly force was unreasonable, and claims he acted with a conscious and reckless disregard of the just rights or safety of Vega-Cruz.

A reasonable officer under similar circumstances would not have reasonably believed that the use of deadly force was necessary to effect an arrest or prevent the escape from custody of a person whom he reasonably believes to have committed an offense, or to defend himself or a third person from the use of imminent physical force while effecting or attempting to effect an arrest or while preventing or attempting to prevent escape, the suit claims. In other words, it was unreasonable for Eulizier to believe that the use of deadly force against (Vega-Cruz) was necessary to defend himself of a third person.

According to the lawsuit, Euliziers use of his cruiser to stop the Infiniti violated Vega-Cruzs rights against unreasonable seizure under the Fourth Amendment and 14th Amendment. The suit also claims Eulizier did not immediately provide medical care to Vega-Cruz.

Eulizier resigned from the Wethersfield Police Department soon after the states attorneys report absolving him in the shooting was released. In his resignation letter, he maintained the shooting was in self-defense, the radio station WNPR reported at the time.

Read more from the original source:
Father of CT teen killed by police files wrongful death lawsuit - CTPost