Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed Against Chicago Police Officer, City of Chicago for Unjustified Fatal Shooting of Maurice Granton Jr.

Attorneys from Romanucci & Blandin, LLC and the Action Injury Law Group, LLC, today filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Chicago police officer Sheldon Thrasher and the City of Chicago for the unjustified shooting death of Maurice Granton Jr. The 24-year-old African American man was fatally shot in the back on June 6 by Officer Thrasher in the Bronzeville neighborhood.

The complaint, filed on behalf of Granton Jr.’s family in Cook County Circuit Court, alleges that Wentworth District tactical officers were conducting a narcotics investigation when they were directed nearby to the 300 block of East 47th Street. Surveillance video footage showed Granton Jr. and others standing under the CTA Green Line, when a squad car pulled up, and the men scattered. Later footage shows Granton Jr. being chased down an alley and leaping a wooden fence with both hands, and later, running across a vacant lot before jumping onto a wrought-iron fence when, the complaint alleges, the officer raised his gun and fired three fatal shots into Granton Jr.’s back.

“The overwhelming evidence in this case shows that Granton Jr., a father of two young daughters, was not a fleeing felon, and having had both hands on the fence at the time of the shooting, did not pose an imminent threat to police officers on the scene, and yet, another young black man is dead at the hands of the Chicago Police Department,” said Antonio M. Romanucci, principal and partner of Romanucci & Blandin, LLC. “The family of Maurice Granton Jr. deserves justice, and through this action, we are determined to get it for them.”

“The Chicago Police Department has consistently stated over the last several weeks that the incident was an armed confrontation, yet the body camera video footage never shows Granton Jr. armed at any time during the incident,” added Andrew M. Stroth, Managing Partner, Action Injury Law Group, LLC. “The use of deadly force by the police in this situation makes clear that our city’s officers lack proper training.”

About Romanucci & Blandin, LLC:

Romanucci & Blandin has been rated as a leading civil trial practice law firm in Chicago concentering in catastrophic personal injury, medical malpractice, police misconduct, and bullying and hazing cases. The attorneys at the Chicago law firm represent individuals and their families in catastrophic personal injury matters, wrongful death and workers’ compensation cases. The cases that are referred to Romanucci & Blandin involve accidents or injuries which occurred due to negligence and carelessness on the part of individuals, governmental bodies and corporations of all sizes. Since its inception more than 16 years ago, Romanucci & Blandin has secured more than $500 million in verdicts and settlements on behalf of their clients. For more information about Romanucci & Blandin, please visit www.rblaw.net or call (312) 458-1000.

About Action Injury Law Group, LLC:

Action Injury Law Group is a results-driven civil rights and social justice law firm dedicated to serving the community and representing victims of police violence. The attorneys at our Chicago-based law firm represents dozens of families across the country as it relates to unjustified and unconstitutional police shootings. Representative cases include: Andy Finch “swatting” case in Wichita, Kansas; Roshad McIntosh and Jose Nieves cases in Chicago; John Elifritz case in Portland, Oregon; the Jamarion Robinson case in Atlanta, Georgia and many others.