The lawsuit states the mother of a 4-year-old boy and aspiring veterinarian was shot by either an unidentified female officer who fired several rounds into the crowd after tripping and stumbling forward or an unidentified male officer who also fired several rounds into the crowd.
Peterson spent two weeks in the hospital in critical condition before she died.
“Plaintiff’s decedent, Imani Peterson, was unarmed and posed no threat to Officers “A” and “B,” states the lawsuit filed on June 3 by attorney Alvin L. Keel on behalf of Peterson’s mother, Ceria Joyce.
“Decedent Imani Peterson was wrongfully and recklessly shot by Officer “A” and/or Officer “B” whose actions were reckless, callous and in total disregard for the personal safety of decedent, Imani Peterson.”
Detroit police have acknowledge the female officer shot two innocent bystanders who recovered from the shooting but have not accepted blame for shooting Peterson nor have they blamed anybody else for shooting her.
Body camera footage shows the female officer stumbling forward after yelling, “put that f_cking gun down,” then firing several shots into the darkness where several partygoers were congregated.
“That motherf_cker had a gun,” the female cop says after firing several shots.
Moments later screams can be heard from frantic attendees. One woman can be heard wailing and begging for someone to “get up.” Others are audibly confused. “What is going on,” ask one man.
The lawsuit, which is asking for $25 million in damages, accuses the officers and the Detroit Police Department of excessive force, gross negligence, and violating Peterson’s civil rights.
Watch the video below.
Police Version of the Incident
Detroit police have offered very little information about the incident, which took place at about 1:45 a.m. on June 1, 2024, after responding to calls about shots fired at the backyard gathering. Nor have they made any arrests.
In a YouTube video posted by police on July 16, 2024, Detroit Police Captain Erica Fredrick explains that police were responding to calls of shots fired at the party, Referring to the female cop as “Officer A” and the male cop as “Officer B.”
Officer A has her department-issued weapon drawn, a large crowd is observed by Officer A, and loud screaming can be heard coming from the backyard of the location.
Officer A runs across the front lawn of the residence towards the backyard. As Officer A reaches the backyard, Subject 1 and Subject 2 can be seen standing near the entrance.
Officer A observes Subject 1 armed with a weapon and gave verbal commands for the subject to drop the firearm. Subject 1 did not comply and both subjects ran in different directions.
Subject 1 ran in the direction of the residence and Subject 2 ran further into the backyard.
Officer A falls to the ground, Officer A then fires four shots. A round from an unknown source can be heard fired after Officer A discharges her weapon.
Officer A scanned the area with her gun drawn to check for additional threats. The other individuals involved alerted Officer A that a victim was injured and needed medical attention.
The YouTube video posted by police also includes two calls to 911 from nearby residents, including one man who said he heard about 100 shots. Surveillance footage included in the video also captures audio of several gunshots fired.
A portion of the footage from the female’s body camera is in slow motion showing two individuals running away from her as she falls to the ground and fires several shots.
The YouTube video then shows footage from the male officer, identified as Officer B, who also opens fire after spotting a figure in white running away.
“The n_gga with the AR just went that way,” the male cop says.
However, the video shows it was a very dark and chaotic situation, difficult to make out people, and the cops themselves appeared confused as to who was armed and who was not armed.
“The officer feared for her life, there were a lot of folks there, a lot of gunfire,” Detroit Police Chief Todd A. Bettison told Fox 2 Detroit in November 2024. “It was a less than desirable situation.”
Bettison explained that a total of four people were shot, including two women, ages 20 and 23, who were shot by the female officer, an eight-year veteran who had been placed on desk duty.
Bettison also explained that a third person who was armed had been shot and wounded but that person was still “under investigation” five months after the shooting and had not been charged. He also said police recovered eight guns and 93 shell casings from the location that night.
But Bettison offered no explanation as to how Peterson was shot.
However, the lawsuit filed last week places the blame on the cops.
“As a direct and proximate result of Officer “A” and Officer “B” wrongful use of excessive deadly force on June 1, 2024, Plaintiff decedent Imani Peterson was struck by a bullet to her abdomen with complications, leading to her death from gunshot wounds on June 15, 2024,” the claim states.
“It’s devastating to get a phone call at 2 in the morning, a phone call that changed the world,” her mother, Ceria Joyce, told Fox 2 Detroit after her death.
Peterson’s cousin, Octavia Joyce, said “she was a joyful, happy person” and a “beautiful young woman.”
Watch the police explanation video.
