Family of woman shot by off-duty cop files lawsuit

Family of woman shot by off-duty cop files lawsuit
WLS/ABC7 by Evelyn Holmes - April 6, 2012

(CHICAGO, IL) (WLS) -- Chicago Police admit that 22-year-old Rekia Boyd was the unintended victim of an off-duty detective's gunfire last month. But police say the man with Boyd had a gun and threatened the off-duty officer, and that's when shots were fired. On Friday morning, Boyd's family announced they are filling a wrongful death lawsuit naming the off-duty police officer and the City of Chicago. Through her attorney, Boyd's mother said the detective's reckless attitude cost her daughter her life. "I couldn't believe it," said Martinez Sutton, Boyd's brother, in tears. "I saw a news story about a 22-year-old woman who had been shot in the head. I was like, I feel sorry for that family. I come to find out, we were the family." Boyd died after being shot in the head while visiting friends on the 2200 block of West 15th Street. Police were called about a disturbance when another man, Antonio Cross, 39, pointed a gun at the detective. Boyd's family, however, says Cross had no weapon, only a cell phone in his hand, and the off-duty police officer had been aggressive in his manner and had a reputation for that type of behavior in the neighborhood. "Her life was snuffed out by an aggressive police officer that provoked the confrontation and took the life of an innocent young woman," said James Montgomery, attorney for the Boyd family. "The police spokesperson publicly claimed that the officer fired in defense of his life when a man approached his vehicle and pointed a gun at him. Incidentally, no gun was ever found. This is a blatant falsehood." Cross has been charged with misdemeanor aggravated assault. The city has not commented on the lawsuit.