A Phoenix man, shot by police last August, is seeking a hefty $50 million for injuries and alleged misconduct, according to a notice of claim filed by his lawyers. Devin Thompson, 21, was left seriously injured which includes a collapsed lung and fractured bones. During a press conference earlier this month, he appeared in a wheelchair, his attorneys accusing Phoenix police of excessive force and racial targeting, the Phoenix New Times reported.
As detailed by Thompson's legal team, the August 1 incident involved Thompson, and another person sitting on a landscaping wall when approached by officers. Thompson fled, was pursued, and then shot resulting in serious injuries which required an extended hospital stay. The Phoenix Police Department's version suggests a gun was involved, but Thompson's attorneys insist he was unarmed when shot. Compounding the physical trauma, Thompson's attorneys claim the emotional toll is incalculable, and his quality of life, devastated.
Thompson's legal team criticized the police narrative during the press conference, alleging the evidence provided in the police's own "critical incident briefing" was manipulative. The video showed a cell phone in Thompson's right hand and a disputed object alleged to be a gun by the police. The incident came amid widening scrutiny over the Phoenix Police Department's practices, which have been under the microscope of a Department of Justice investigation since August 2021 for potentially unconstitutional behaviors, including discriminatory actions and misuse of force.
In reaction to the DOJ's involvement, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell publicly questioned the investigative process and its financial burden on taxpayers, as city officials disclosed spending over $5.1 million in compliance with the probe. Moreover, incidents of police shootings in Phoenix are on an uptick, with 12 fatal shootings in 2023—an increase from the previous year, and two fatalities already in 2024, as reported by the Phoenix New Times.
