Family Of Man Killed In SF Barbershop Shootout Files Wrongful Death Suit
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The family of a 21-year-old man killed by San Francisco police during an alleged shootout at an Excelsior District barbershop earlier this year has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city.
Thursday morning, the family of Jehad Eid and their attorney announced they filed the lawsuit Wednesday in federal court in San Francisco.
Eid's family, who are Muslim immigrants with Palestinian roots, said they were devastated by the March 21 officer-involved shooting, which police said began when Eid fired at them first.
"He was just taken too soon. We feel sorry for the cops when they have a situation (like this), but it's also a time for them to feel sorry for us and what happened to our son. They took him away from us," Jehad's father Ziad Eid said.
According to Jehad's uncle Eid Eid, their family has owned multiple businesses in San Francisco over the last 40 or 50 years.
"We helped the city a lot and we were always involved in the city in a good way. So to have one of our own killed by SFPD was really a shock to us," he said.
Civil rights attorney Dan Siegel, representing the Eid family, said, "Horribly, this is a daily occurrence. Every day in the U.S. a young person is killed by the police. Most of these killing are inappropriate, improper, and result from an unlawful use of excessive force, which in most cases is motivated by some sort of racism, or ethnic bias. We are determined to end this epidemic and to end it in San Francisco."
Siegel also said police officers overreacted to the situation instead using of de-escalation tactics that were being encouraged since the Police Department adopted a new use of force policy in 2016.
Police released body-worn camera footage of the incident just over a week after the fatal officer-involved shooting.
The lawsuit claims the two police officers involved in the shooting "used excessive and unnecessary force ... because they lacked reasonable cause to believe that he posed a threat."
Jehad, a Suisun City resident, was working as a mobile phone salesman at the time of the shooting, the lawsuit said.
Police said the shooting unfolded when family members told police Jehad was threatening them, flashed a gun and was trying to break into their garage.
When police arrived, officers were told he was at the Amazon Barber Shop at 949 Geneva Ave. When officers entered the shop, Eid shot at them first, police said.
Two officers identified as Officers Kevin Endo and Tess Casey then fired back, striking Eid.
According to Siegel, Endo and Casey fired at least 12 shots.
Eid was taken to the hospital, where he died.
An officer was also injured in the shooting, as well as a minor and three men, police said.
In addition to the city, the Police Department and Chief William Scott have also been named as plaintiffs in the suit.
© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. and Bay City News Service. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
