A lawsuit has been filed by the family of a teenager injured by an officer’s discharged weapon, claiming recklessness and excessive use of force.
Officer Brendan Kaiser, the officer involved in an ‘accidental’ shooting that injured two teens during a stolen vehicle run, and Louisville Metro Police Department were named in the lawsuit filed by one of the teenager’s grandmother on March 30.
Court documents state officers were called to the 800 block of South 38th Street on February 20 on reports of a stolen vehicle at the location.
Officers waited for backup and had weapons drawn after seeing juveniles in the garage where the vehicle was stored.
Several juveniles attempted to run from police, and during an attempt to stop one of the boys, a round fired from Kaiser’s weapon.
One teen was injured at the scene, while the other showed up at Norton Children’s around an hour later with a gunshot wound.
In the lawsuit, the attorney claims Kaiser’s round went through his back and traveled through his midsection.
Attorneys said at the time of the shooting, Louisville Metro Police Department had clearly established “that individuals have a right not to be shot unless they are perceived as posing a threat to officers or others.”
The lawsuit states the juveniles within the garage were unarmed and alleges that Kaiser had his firearm pointed at the juveniles and had his finger on the trigger of the gun.
Kaiser is also accused of not receiving remedial training after the shooting death of a 42-year-old Black man in 2018. The lawsuit claims the man who was shot and killed did not have a firearm on him at the time of the shooting.
According to documents, Kaiser was exonerated for the shooting by Louisville Metro Police Department’s Professional Standards Unit and was only reprimanded following a investigation filed into the Professional Standards Unit seven months later.
Attorneys state Louisville Metro Police Department has a clear pattern of excessive force and reckless use of firearms, leading to the incident and the teenager’s injuries.
The family of the teenager shot is seeking a jury trial and damages in the incident.
Source: WAVE
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