The family of Ali Osman, a man who was fatally shot by Phoenix police after he allegedly threw rocks at one of their patrol units, is suing for $85 million. Last month, two police vehicles were driving through the intersection of 19th Avenue and Tuckey Lane. According to a news release from law enforcement “their cars were struck by unknown items causing damage.”
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One of the officers say they saw Osman “throwing rocks towards his patrol car,” the release continued. He claimed Osman refused to stop and “that’s when the officer-involved shooting occurred striking the man.” Osman, who was only 34, died later at a hospital from his injuries.
Quacy Smith, who is part of the legal team for Ali Osman’s family, filed a notice of claim on Friday. The claim, which comes before a lawsuit, lists Phoenix, its police department, two officers and Chief Michael Sullivan as defendants.
The claim states: “The Claimants seek an award of damages reasonably calculated to compensate for the injuries they suffered in connection with the wrongful death of Ali Osman on September 24, 2022.” Smith insists that this wasn’t an accident but murder.
“This is not just homicide. This was murder. He should be in jail, not in a graveyard,” Smith said at a news conference. Smith, who is a former police officer, has previously stated that he said couldn’t “fathom a set of circumstances described to us that would warrant this young Black man being shot down by police in the streets of our city for throwing rocks.”
The notice of claim also explains that Osman was “neither a threat of death nor of great bodily harm to the officers.” Furthermore, he was not “engaging in conduct that justified the extent of force used by the officers.”
The shooting is under a criminal and internal investigation.
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