Child’s Family Files Wrongful Death Suit Against Police

With the help of their attorney, the family of seven-year-old Aiyana Jones is filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the Detroit Police Department.

Video evidence was obtained by Fieger, since the raid that led to the death was being taped for the popular reality police show “The First 48.”

“There is no question about what happened because it’s in the videotape,” says Geoffrey Fieger, the family’s attorney. “It’s not an accident. It’s not a mistake. There was no altercation.”

The family’s lawyer, Geoffery Fieger, seeks justice.

The family’s attorney pulls no punches in his accusations against the Detroit Police Department: “The videotape shows clearly that the assistant police chief and the officers on the scene are engaging in an intentional cover up of the events,” Fieger says.

A&E’s “The First 48″ chronicles police from various parts of the country in their attempts to solve homicide cases in the all-important first two days of an investigation.

Police had warrants to search both units of the duplex where their suspect was. The 34-year-old man, Chauncey Louis Owens, was eventually arrested in the upstairs unit of the duplex.

Police did not initially identify the officer whose gun fired the shot that killed Aiyana. But he was later identified as Joseph Weekley, who has been put on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. To avoid a perceived conflict of interest, the case has been handed over to the Michigan State Police.