Lawsuit in Louisiana: Police kill fleeing black man

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) – Family members of Alonzo Bagley, a black man who was killed trying to flee from police filed a $10 million lawsuit against the officer who shot him in response to a jammer call.

The federal lawsuit was filed in Shreveport last week by his wife, mother and stepdaughter of Bagley, 43. He was fatally shot on February 3. The lawsuit said he fled his home after refusing to speak to officers.

State police are investigating and said last week that no gun was found on or near Bagley. The lawsuit states that Bagley was unarmed and had his hands raised when Officer Alexander Tyler shot him.

“The lethal force used against Mr. Bagley was unjustified, unreasonable, excessive and violates Mr. Bagley’s rights under the United States Constitution and the laws of the State of Louisiana,” the lawsuit states.

An email to police asking Tyler or the department for comment was not immediately answered. The department forwarded all questions to the state police.

Authorities said Bagley was killed after two officers responded to a phone call around 10:50 p.m. on February 3. Col. Lamar Davis, the superintendent of the Louisiana State Police, said during a news conference last week it was “trespassing.” but no details were released.

Bagley walked through a bedroom onto a balcony, jumped to the ground and ran, Davis said. The officers followed him.

“As he turned a corner of the building, Officer Tyler observed Mr. Bagley and fired a shot from his service pistol, hitting Mr. Bagley in the chest,” Davis said. He added that both officers immediately provided first aid, but Bagley was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Davis said the state police investigation would include interviews with witnesses and reviews of officers’ body cameras and dashcam videos — none of which have been released. The lawsuit states that Bagley’s stepdaughter, a plaintiff in the lawsuit, was among the witnesses to the shooting.