The family of a man with a mental illness fatally shot last year by Chicago police has sued the city over his death.
The mother of James Anderson, 33, who lived in the 900 block of North Central Park, filed her lawsuit against the city and unnamed police officers late last week. Pamela Anderson said her son was unarmed Sept. 25 and didn’t threaten police when one officer shot him seven times. CPD officials said at the time the man threatened officers with a “knife or sharp object.”
CPD spokesman Frank Giancamilli declined to comment on the lawsuit, but he said the incident is under review by the Independent Police Review Authority.
“The department is committed to the highest levels of integrity and professional standards for our members, and it is imperative that we allow the necessary time for (IPRA) to conduct a thorough investigation based exclusively on the facts and evidence from the incident,” Giancamilli said in a statement.
Pamela Anderson said in her lawsuit that her son would become “confused” when he failed to take his medicine, and she would sometimes call CPD for help getting him to a hospital to have his medication regulated. She said that happened Sept. 25, but one officer drew his gun that night, walked into her home, approached her son’s bedroom and knocked twice. She said that officer opened fire when Anderson emerged from his room, and she was standing next to her son when he was shot.
However, police said in September that Anderson appeared to have a knife in his hand, and officers told him to drop it. CPD also said officers tried using a Taser to subdue Anderson, but he charged with his weapon.
Anderson was pronounced dead at Mount Sinai Hospital. No officers were injured.
