CHICAGO (AP) — A civil rights lawsuit has been filed against a Chicago-area police officer seen on video threatening to kill a black teenager in June for trespassing.
The lawsuit filed Thursday in Chicago federal court says 15-year-old Jordan Brunson was attacked by off-duty Lansing Officer William Mason when the teen never posed a threat. The suit also names Lansing.
A highly viewed Facebook video shows Mason pinning the teen down after he and a white minor allegedly refused to stay off Mason’s property. Mason tells Brunson he could kill him.
Plaintiff attorney Andrew Stroth says the Brunson family hoped “to send a message” to Lansing by taking legal action.
A Lansing spokesman says the village didn’t have an immediate comment. A message left for Mason at the Lansing Police Department wasn’t returned.
