Family of paralyzed teen shot by police seek justice
Leon Ford Jr.’s entire life changed last November after a routine traffic stop escalated to gun shots, leaving Ford paralyzed.
His family believes the Pittsburgh officers involved acted unlawfully. Now they are seeking justice for Ford who still faces charges.
Ford Jr.’s attorney Benjamin Crump said,“It’s outrageous when you really think about the fact that Mr. Ford’s son was pulled over, we believe, because he was a Black male. He [Ford Jr.] gave his license, his registration, everything came back clear and it matched who he was. That was not good enough for the police officers.”
Things went downhill when David Derbish, one of the officers who responded to the call claimed he saw Ford Jr. attempt to flee the scene. Derbish further contends that he sat in Ford’s passenger seat as he pulled off.
A struggle ensued and he fired several shots into Ford Jr.’s torso. No drugs, weapons or other illegal contraband were found on the scene. Despite that, Ford Jr. has been charged with aggravated assault, driving and reckless endangerment and resisting arrest.
Ford Jr. Was shot five times. “To add insult to injury, after they shot him, they put him face down in the road and handcuffed him,” Crump told NewsOne.
The family has started a petition to drop the charges against Leon Ford Jr. You can sign it here.
Let justice prevail on this one.
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