AKRON, Ohio (AP) — The family of a 17-year-old boy who fatally shot himself while handcuffed in the back seat of a police cruiser in Akron, Ohio, has filed a lawsuit against the city and police.
Xavier McMullen
The wrongful death suit alleges that police did not properly search Xavier McMullen on Aug. 25, 2017, before putting him in the patrol car. It also says officers waited 20 minutes before investigating a loud noise believed to be the fatal gunshot.
Cleveland.com reports the teen’s mother filed the suit Thursday, naming the city of Akron, its police department and more than a dozen officers as defendants.
Earlier this year, the department docked Officer Devin Ray’s pay for failing to thoroughly search McMullen.
The city and the department declined to comment on the suit.
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