Family Of Man Fatally Shot By Police Files Federal Lawsuit Against City
By Cherri Gregg
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The family of Brandon Tate-Brown filed a federal lawsuit against the city this week. They're seeking certification as a class action.
Brandon Tate-Brown was shot in the back of the head by police during a traffic stop last December. Police say he was reaching for a gun, but the family doesn't buy it.
After months of protests, press conferences and then a state lawsuit, attorney Brian Mildenberg says they now have enough evidence to file federal civil rights claims and to seek class certification for federal oversight of use of force reforms.
"We're asking the court to do that on behalf of any person who may have been the victim of police victim or may in the future without this reform become a victim."
The Complaint suggests the police planted the gun on Tate-Brown and seeks damages for wrongful death. The city declined to comment on the case.