Prominent Southfield attorney Geoffrey Fieger called “absurd” any suggestion the shot fired by police officer during a raid that killed a 7-year-old girl Sunday morning was the result of an altercation between the cop and the girl’s grandmother. Fieger said today at an hour-long press conference he has filed lawsuits on behalf of the family of slain Aiyana Jones in both federal and state courts. The federal lawsuit argues the police violated the girl’s constitutional rights and it seeks an award of more than $75,000. The state suit contains four counts and seeks damages in excess of $25,000.
Fieger said a three-minute video taken of the raid shows the gunshot fired came from the porch of the two-story duplex on the 4000 block of Lillibridge shortly after a “flash-bang” grenade was thrown into the home, contradicting police accounts. “This type of activity by a police force is unacceptable in America,” he said.
And Fieger said the video shot during Detroit police’s execution of a search warrant showed they hunted a murder suspect — a 34-year-old man wanted in connection with the Friday night slaying of a 17-year-old outside of a liquor store — in the wrong unit of the duplex Sunday and are culpable in the death of Aiyana Jones.
Aiyana Jones was on a couch when she was struck by a bullet in the neck/head area during the police raid at about 12:40 a.m. Sunday in the duplex on the city’s east side.
Fieger called upon officers today who participated in the raid to step forward and tell Detroit Police Chief Warren Evans and others what they saw at the scene. He also called the police version of the raid a “cover-up.”
“You all know what happened at this scene. Please don’t let this child have died in vain,” he said. Fieger said the city owes the family, including Aiyana Jones’ grandmother, Mertilla Jones, apologies for implying she may have been at fault. He said he will file a lawsuit on her behalf for false arrest.
“This is an opportunity to come together, not to tear us apart,” he said. “And I believe ultimately what has to happen, that this city not be torn apart, that this city be brought together by an admission by the powers that be, that this was wrong, this is what happened, apologize to this father and this mother and this grandmother.
“Apologize now and we can start the road to healing.” Fieger, who hasn’t revealed the source of the video, said the camera had a perfect angle on the incident as it occurred. He said the footage he has seen would be admissible in court if it is not destroyed before it can be introduced as evidence, which he said he fears could happen.
The TV series “The First 48,” which airs on the A&E Network, was filming during the incident. The show is cooperating with police in the probe, and investigators have examined the footage taken by the crew at the scene early Sunday morning.
Michigan State Police have launched a probe into the incident.
R.I.P. Aiyana…
Comments
Bossip Comment Policy
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.