Photo: Harry Wedzinga / iStock / Getty Images
The family of a Black man fatally shot by an off-duty homicide detective has filed a lawsuit against the City of Philadelphia and six police officers, per Fox 29.
According to the civil lawsuit, filed on August 27, 54-year-old Robert Jones was trying to assist who he believed was a stranded driver when he was shot multiple times by Detective Christopher Sweeney, a white, 14-year veteran of the police department.
Sweeney was off duty and driving his personal vehicle at the time of the shooting. He was cleared of criminal wrongdoing by the district attorney’s office in July.
“They’re trying to save the officer and at the same time put a stain on my brother’s name,” Michael Jones, who filed the suit on behalf of his brother’s estate, said.
The October 2024 shooting unfolded after Jones, who was trained in roadside assistance, exited his vehicle to approach Sweeney's car, which was stopped in a turn lane in a residential area in North Philadelphia. Jones believed the vehicle was disabled and wanted to offer help.
The lawsuit claims Sweeney flashed his badge and yelled that he was a police officer through a closed window. Sweeney then fired his service weapon at point-blank range through the window, striking Jones multiple times. Jones was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
The suit accuses Sweeney of assault, battery, and wrongful death. It also alleges that other officers who responded to the scene worked to shield him from liability by supporting a false narrative that the encounter stemmed from road rage.
“Sweeney’s actions amounted to a violent, unprovoked assault and battery,” the suit states, adding that police “manipulated the crime scene” to support his story.
The lawsuit is seeking at least $200,000 in compensatory and punitive damages, including for wrongful death, emotional distress, and economic loss.
“People make mistakes, but that doesn’t mean taking someone’s life is justified,” Kevin O’Brien, an attorney for the Jones family, said. “And we certainly think the evidence will show that.”
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