The family of a person who was shot and killed by Springfield police earlier this year are suing the involved police officers and the city for $10 million in a federal wrongful death lawsuit.
Springfield police officers shot and killed Patrick Kenny, also known as Stacy Kenny, last March.
Kenny filed a petition in 2018 in Lane County Circuit Court for a legal name change to “Stacy” and a sex change to female, though the family’s federal lawsuit refers to Kenny by male pronouns.
Kenny had schizophrenia, a detail that Kenny’s parents had shared with local police almost a year earlier, the lawsuit states.
Kenny’s parents met with a Springfield police officer in June of 2018 to inform the officer that “their son Patrick had schizophrenia, had been off his medication for approximately six to eight weeks, that he was engaging in odd behavior [and] that he was not hostile,” according to the lawsuit.
Springfield Police attempted to stop Kenny on March 31, 2019, for a minor traffic infraction.
The lawsuit states that Kenny exhibited “abnormal and odd behavior.”
Officers broke the car windows in an effort to remove Kenny from of the vehicle.
Springfield Police Sgt. Richard Lewis eventually entered the car through the passenger side door and Kenny accelerated the vehicle, with the officer still inside. Lewis then shot and killed Kenny.
The Lane County district attorney determined the shooting was justified last April.
Kenny’s parents are suing the involved officers and the city for negligence and excessive use of force. They are requesting a jury trial.
Copyright 2019 Oregon Public Broadcasting