Suit filed over shooting death by undercover officer

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Relatives of a motorist shot and killed by an undercover Philadelphia police officer last summer have announced a lawsuit against the officer and the city, alleging that the shooting was “unnecessary” and “excessive.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the lawsuit alleges that the civil rights of 36-year-old Jeffrey Dennis were violated. It alleges improper training by the police department on use of deadly force and calls the shooting “objectively unnecessary, excessive, and unreasonable under the circumstances.”

Police said officers blocked Dennis’s car during an Aug. 20 drug investigation, but he tried to drive away, striking cars and an officer, and was shot. Three officers were injured.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro earlier said no charges would be filed. Police declined comment on the lawsuit or any disciplinary action in the case.

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Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.inquirer.com