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$800 Million Lawsuit Filed In Freeway Shooting
Family's Attorney Accuses Officers Of Violations
DETROIT - Attorney Geoffrey Fieger is helping a local family sue the Michigan State Police over a relative's shooting death last week.Officers said that they stopped Virgil Sneed, the son of a Detroit minister, for a traffic violation shortly after 8 p.m. Aug. 16 on Interstate 94. Sneed's 15-year-old son was reportedly riding in the car with him.
Investigators said that while the trooper was writing a ticket, Sneed tried to run him down. The trooper said that he fired several shots at the car in self defense, but Sneed's family said that the officer went too far.
Sneed reportedly slumped over the steering wheel with at least one gunshot wound. One trooper was injured.
Police say that troopers tried to perform CPR on Sneed until paramedics arrived.
Both the trooper and Sneed were taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital, where Sneed was later pronounced dead.
The lawsuit alleges that Sneed was shot intentionally. Troopers Phil Deplessis and Jonathan Henry are named in the lawsuit along with the MSP, which seeks $800 million. The suit alleges wrongful death civil rights violations.
Fieger said Thursday that Sneed and troopers were engaged in a "long-standing dispute."