The family of a 19-year-old Connicuit man, Mubarak Soulemane killed by a state trooper are seeking more than $10 million in wrongful death damages from state and local police, according to legal notices filed Thursday.
Per the Associated Press, in addition to suing the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, they also filed a notice with the town of West Haven to sue the town and the police officials there for an unknown amount of money as well.
According to police, the incident began on January 15, Soulemane carjacked a vehicle in Norwalk then led troopers on a chase down the interstate where Soulemane hit two state police cruisers and a civilian’s vehicle before being enclosed by the police.
However, body cam footage captured shows a West Haven officer smashing out the passenger door window of the stolen car before a trooper shoots Soulemane with a stun gun, which didn’t work. Another trooper, Brian North, then fired his handgun seven times through the driver’s door window when Soulemane showed a knife, state police said.
Soulemane’s mother, Omo Mohammed is calling for justice for her son who attended community college and suffered from schizophrenia. In a statement she says, “I want this policeman to go to jail for killing my son.”
Sanford Rubenstein, one of the attorneys representing Soulemane’s family told the wire Soulemane was not a threat and wants the officer to be held accountable for his actions.
“Clearly … the video shows the police officer was in no imminent danger … when he fired seven shots rapidly into the car,”. “More important than money damages is that this police officer be held accountable for his actions.”
North has since been placed on desk duty pending an investigation.
