The parents of a teenager killed by a Cobb County police officer have filed a lawsuit against the county and the officer who fired the fatal shots.
Vincent Truitt, 17, was shot twice in the back July 13, 2020, after a police chase near Six Flags Over Georgia ended behind a warehouse on Riverside Parkway.
The Atlanta teen jumped out of a stolen Nissan Altima with a gun, but appeared to be running away from Officer Max Karneol when he was shot, according to the officerâs body camera footage. A pistol was later recovered at the scene.
The $150 million wrongful death lawsuit, filed Jan. 11 in federal court, is believed to be the most money sought in a deadly police shooting in Georgia history, attorney Gerald Griggs said Wednesday.
The case was presented to a grand jury in February 2021. After deliberating for nearly eight hours, the grand jury decided Karneol was within his rights to use deadly force when he killed Truitt, Cobb County District Attorney Flynn Broady Jr. said.
Hours after the decision not to charge Karneol, prosecutors showed a combination of surveillance, body camera and dash camera footage from the moments leading up to, and including, Truittâs shooting. It was the first time the video had been made public.
Karneol didnât appear to give any commands or instruct the teen to drop the weapon before opening fire, but Broady said the officer wasnât required to based on his training.
âEach of our police agencies has a (standard operating procedure) for their use of force,â Broady said at the time. âJust following the law ... it says that if an officer is chasing a felon who has a weapon â who can pose a danger to others â he has the ability to fire, to use deadly force.
âIn this case, the officer followed his SOP to the letter and also followed the law,â Broady said.
Truittâs family disagreed with the decision not charge the officer, arguing the teen was clearly running away when he was killed. According to the 30-page lawsuit, Truitt was picked up by a friend that evening and didnât know the car was stolen.
Truitt, the lawsuit states, âdid not pose an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm to (the officer) or anyone else when he was intentionally shot in the back.â
Attorney Jackie Patterson, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Truittâs parents, said Cobb prosecutors never intended to charge the officer.
âFrom the moment Truitt exited the vehicle, he never even saw the officer,â Patterson said Wednesday. âHe ran totally in the opposite direction and never threatened the officer in any way.â
Griggs said the police shooting was âabsolutely unjustified.â
Credit: Daniel Varnado
Credit: Daniel Varnado
âWe believe his actions were wholly unreasonable and violated Mr. Truittâs constitutional rights,â Griggs said, adding Truittâs parents are âanxious to get justice and accountability.â
âFor far too long, his family has been hurting,â he said. âTheyâre hoping this lawsuit will be a step toward that justice and accountability.â
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Credit: Jenni Girtman
A county spokesman said Wednesday that Cobb officials intend to fight the lawsuit.
âWe are aware that a lawsuit has been filed in federal court and will vigorously defend it.â Cobb spokesman Ross Cavitt said.
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