Family Sues Over Fatal Red Line Shooting

Suit seeks more than $100,000

The family of a teen who was shot and killed by police on a Chicago Transit Authority train over the weekend has filed a lawsuit against the city.

Carmella Lash-Cross said there was no reason for police to shoot her 19-year-old son, George Lash, and is seeking more than $100,000 plus the cost of the suit from the City of Chicago, the Chicago Police Department and the unidentified officers.

"We have sworn statements now from witnesses that have been taken in this case that they did not see a weapon at any time prior to George being shot," said attorney Antonio Romanucci.

Lash was shot shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday on a CTA Red Line train near the Garfield station by an officer responding to a call of a man with a gun on the train. The conductor gave the officers a description of the man and the train car where he was last seen.

Two officers maintain there was a struggle with Lash. One of them shot Lash when he pointed a handgun at them, police said.

The two-count suit claims, among other things, the officers shot a man who did not pose a threat. It claims the officers pinned Lash’s arms behind his back, subdued him, put him in handcuffs and then shot him.

Lash, of the 3300 block of South Giles Avenue, was pronounced dead about an hour later at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County. An autopsy determined he died of multiple gunshot wounds and his death was ruled a homicide.

Police said nobody else was injured and a weapon was recovered on the scene.

A spokesperson for the city’s Department of Law was not immediately available for comment.

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