The family of a 16-year-old wounded during an October 2025 traffic stop has filed a lawsuit this week that names former Austin police officer James McKinney and the City of Austin. The suit says the shooting left the teen with permanent injuries and life-long care needs, accuses McKinney of using unconstitutional deadly force, and claims the city failed to properly train and supervise its officers. The family is seeking more than $1 million in damages as the civil case moves ahead.
According to the complaint, as reported by KXAN, McKinney followed a car after witnessing gunfire and then fired at the moving vehicle, hitting the passenger identified in filings as J.M.G. The lawsuit argues that the shots violated the teen’s Fourth Amendment rights and that Austin Police Department policy limiting when officers can shoot at moving vehicles did not allow deadly force in this situation. The filing also says the teen’s injuries are permanent and will require ongoing medical care.
APD timeline: what officers say happened
In an APD news release, the City of Austin says McKinney, who had about a year and five months of service at the time, reported seeing someone fire a gun from the passenger seat of a vehicle near Northgate Boulevard and Rundberg Lane. He then followed the car to the 9200 block of Parkfield Drive. According to the department’s account, McKinney got out of his patrol car without turning on his overhead lights or siren and fired two rounds as the car turned onto Quail Park Drive. Officers later found the vehicle and the wounded 16-year-old in the passenger seat.
APD says it released audio and body-camera footage from the incident and that the Special Investigations Unit is working with the Travis County District Attorney's Office while Internal Affairs and Austin Police Oversight handle administrative reviews. Police Chief Lisa Davis described McKinney’s actions as guided by his training and by a duty to protect the public, the Houston Chronicle reported.
What the lawsuit alleges
The complaint, per KXAN, says McKinney fired two shots that struck J.M.G. in the neck and labels that gunfire an unconstitutional use of deadly force under the circumstances alleged. The filing contends the city failed to adequately train officers on APD’s rules for shooting at moving vehicles and notes that McKinney did not activate his emergency lights or siren before opening fire. The family is asking for damages to cover medical expenses and long-term care tied to the teen’s injuries.
Investigations and legal path ahead
According to APD’s news release, criminal and administrative investigations into the October shooting are still underway, even as the civil lawsuit begins its own track in court. The case will require the city and the former officer to formally respond to the family’s allegations while the parallel criminal and internal reviews continue.
Local context
Hoodline's earlier coverage of the October incident noted that APD released body-camera and dash-camera footage soon after the shooting drew public attention, and local outlets have chronicled other recent civil suits against APD officers that question training and oversight. Reporting from KUT has highlighted similar claims in previous cases, putting this latest filing into a broader Austin conversation about department practices and accountability.
