Federal Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed By Black Alabama Teenager’s Mother Whose Son Was Fatally Shot By Police, In Their Home, in Unjustified Pre-dawn “No-knock” Raid

Civil rights lawyers at Grant & Eisenhofer represent family of beloved 16-year-old Randall Adjessom

/EIN News/ -- MOBILE, Ala., Dec. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A federal wrongful death lawsuit was just filed by the mother of beloved 16-year-old Mobile, Alabama teenager Randall Adjessom who was fatally shot by S.W.A.T police in his home November 13, 2023, in an unjustified, racially-motivated, “no knock” pre-dawn raid, according to the Complaint filed by civil rights attorneys from Grant & Eisenhofer (G&E) and co-counsel,Alabama litigator Jerry Buchanan. The City of Mobile, the officer who fatally shot Randall, and several other officers (whose identities have all been concealed by the Mobile Police Department) that played a role in the shooting, are defendants in the lawsuit (A. Adjessom v. City of Mobile, et al. , 1:24-cv-00472 , United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama Mobile Division). The eight-count lawsuit details the events leading up to the killing and the MPD’s systemic pattern of using excessive force against citizens of color; in particular, young Black boys and men.

G&E litigation team members Elizabeth A. Bailey, Cynthia B. Morgan and Steven A. Medina said following yesterday’s filing, “Randall’s mother is demonstrating great courage in bringing this action in her late son’s name and to do what she can to stop the rampant, senseless, outrageous police abuse against Mobile’s minority community. The Complaint is replete with revelations from our pre-suit investigation, perhaps none more repulsive than the fact that MPD body-worn camera (BWC) video of the shooting clearly shows Randall begin to retreat after realizing the intruders into his family home were members of the police force when he was repeatedly shot and killed in cold blood.” They added, “This filing is a major step for a grieving family intent on holding accountable – at a Federal jury trial - all those responsible for this unquestionably foreseeable and preventable tragedy.” There are claims asserted for compensatory and punitive damages; those will be determined at trial.

Randall Adjessom (Family photo)

The Adjessom family, proud members of the Mobile community, expresses appreciation for the support it continues to receive from many – including numerous elected officials, civic and clergy leaders, in the aftermath of Randall’s killing. “I still cannot believe Randall is gone, and that this is another holiday season where we have nothing to celebrate. But we have love in our hearts and love for Mobile, and know the vast majority of people in our city want what we want: to be treated fairly, equally and with respect by our police. They’re supposed to be peace officers, aren’t they? How many more young Black boys like Randall have to be buried following police brutality before the MPD’s legendary culture of unchecked excessive force is finally put to rest.”

In asserting violations of the constitutional rights of Randall and his family members (including his mother, grandmother, and three sisters) home at the time of the pre-dawn raid – under the guise of serving a search warrant for his older brother (who did not live at the house and was not there at the time) - it underscores myriad acts of “deliberate indifference” by the City, its policy-makers, and the police chief that “led to this dangerous, unjustified, and fatal raid.”

Supporting allegations of deliberate indifference, the complaint states, “it was directly expressed by MPD Chief Prine, who, soon after being promoted to chief of police in 2021, reportedly told MPD officers, including the Defendant Police Officers, 'I’m not concerned with what the media and public thinks about the police. F**k the public.'”

The factual backdrop includes reference to the post-incident independent investigator’s report for the City by a former federal prosecutor. In that report it was stated that the Police-SWAT response to the Adjessom home was “not activated for officer safety but due to a shortage of narcotics officers to search a house of that size. . . .So, the most aggressive tool in your (policing) toolbox, and you use it because you have a manpower shortage.”

Coverage Note: The Body Worn Camera (BWC) video has not yet been made public, but has been viewed by the legal team. Certain incident-scene photos, and other family-owned images, can be viewed directly on the firm’s website or through this link.

Contact:
Elizabeth A. Bailey, Esq. / ebailey@gelaw.com / 302-622-7195
Steph Rosenfeld / steph@idadvisors.com / 215-514-4101

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e1b46366-e947-4017-a146-08009d9014fd