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By John Higgins
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 06:39 p.m. EDT, Mar 17, 2008
The parents of an Akron teen whose controversial death last year during a police stop triggered protests and an independent review is suing Akron police in federal court for wrongful death and violation of civil rights.
Horace L. Vinson Jr, father of 19-year-old Demetrus Vinson and Beverly A. Wallace, the teen's mother, filed the lawsuit Friday in U.S. District Court. He is asking for $10 million in compensatory damages, plus punitive damages and attorney costs. The case has been assigned to Judge Sara Lioi.
Akron police and the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's office, which was asked to conduct an independent review, concluded that the 19-year-old shot himself in the head after he was shot by police during a traffic stop last March 17.
The Summit County prosecutor issued its own conclusion last week that the police shooting was justified because Vinson pulled out a gun during the stop and aimed it at one of the officers.
The lawsuit alleges that the officers — Michael Orrand and Michael Koubek — pulled over the car Vinson was driving without probable cause.
Police say they observed Vinson's car leaving a known drug house at about 2 a.m. and followed him to Victoria Avenue where Vinson drove the car into a driveway of his grandmother's home.
The lawsuit says that ''without warning or justification'' Koubek shot Vinson three times.
Police say that as Koubek and Orrand stood near the car with flashlights in hand, Vinson rolled up his tinted car windows and refused to leave the car.
The officers say they saw Vinson reach for and point a gun at Orrand, who was on the driver's side of the car. As he did, Koubek fired three times through the passenger side window. After retreating, the officers said they heard a single shot fired from inside the car.
The lawsuit alleges that police ''destroyed evidence in this case by moving the Vinson vehicle, with the body of (Vinson) inside, before investigators could document and photograph the scene.''
Police say they examined the car, where they recovered a .45 caliber pistol fired by Vinson by the driver's side door, after they towed it out of the neighborhood.
Police initially took responsibility for Vinson's death. Two days later, following an autopsy, they announced that Vinson killed himself with a .45 caliber pistol.
A 15-year-old passenger in the car, Chance Baker, backed the suicide explanation initially, but later recanted, prosecutors say.
John Higgins can be reached at 330-996-3792, 800-777-7232 or jhiggins@thebeaconjournal.com.
The parents of an Akron teen whose controversial death last year during a police stop triggered protests and an independent review is suing Akron police in federal court for wrongful death and violation of civil rights.
Horace L. Vinson Jr, father of 19-year-old Demetrus Vinson and Beverly A. Wallace, the teen's mother, filed the lawsuit Friday in U.S. District Court. He is asking for $10 million in compensatory damages, plus punitive damages and attorney costs. The case has been assigned to Judge Sara Lioi.
Akron police and the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's office, which was asked to conduct an independent review, concluded that the 19-year-old shot himself in the head after he was shot by police during a traffic stop last March 17.
The Summit County prosecutor issued its own conclusion last week that the police shooting was justified because Vinson pulled out a gun during the stop and aimed it at one of the officers.
The lawsuit alleges that the officers — Michael Orrand and Michael Koubek — pulled over the car Vinson was driving without probable cause.
Police say they observed Vinson's car leaving a known drug house at about 2 a.m. and followed him to Victoria Avenue where Vinson drove the car into a driveway of his grandmother's home.
The lawsuit says that ''without warning or justification'' Koubek shot Vinson three times.
Police say that as Koubek and Orrand stood near the car with flashlights in hand, Vinson rolled up his tinted car windows and refused to leave the car.
The officers say they saw Vinson reach for and point a gun at Orrand, who was on the driver's side of the car. As he did, Koubek fired three times through the passenger side window. After retreating, the officers said they heard a single shot fired from inside the car.
The lawsuit alleges that police ''destroyed evidence in this case by moving the Vinson vehicle, with the body of (Vinson) inside, before investigators could document and photograph the scene.''
Police say they examined the car, where they recovered a .45 caliber pistol fired by Vinson by the driver's side door, after they towed it out of the neighborhood.
Police initially took responsibility for Vinson's death. Two days later, following an autopsy, they announced that Vinson killed himself with a .45 caliber pistol.
A 15-year-old passenger in the car, Chance Baker, backed the suicide explanation initially, but later recanted, prosecutors say.
John Higgins can be reached at 330-996-3792, 800-777-7232 or jhiggins@thebeaconjournal.com.
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