Plaintiff:
Paul Washington, Jr.
Incident date:
10/17/2009
Location:
8224 S. Marquette Ave.
Allegations:
Washington was talking with a friend when Officers Shrake and Petrulis stopped their police car in the middle of the street, got out and drew their guns. Fearing for his safety, Washington fled, and Shrake and Petrulis opened fire. Washington was shot in the left leg. He curled into the fetal position on the ground to avoid further injuries. As he was curled on the ground, the officers shot Washington two more times, once in his lower back and once through his right shoulder. The officers approached Washington and shouted, “Show me your hands.” Washington dropped his keys and phone, and was handcuffed and dragged down the street to the back of a house. Shrake and Petrulis, along with other officers who arrived, repeatedly asked Washington about a gun, even though Washington denied having one. A sergeant arrived and told one of the officers to find a gun, and Petrulis said he found one under the front stairs of a nearby home. Eventually an ambulance took Washington to a hospital, where he was treated for his injuries. He was then transported to jail, where several police officers filed false reports saying Washington had been armed. The officers charged him with attempted murder, aggravated discharge of a firearm, assault of an officer, unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a firearm. Washington was held in jail for three and a half years. At trial, Shrake and Petrulis falsely testified and were refuted by three forensic experts. The charges against Washington were eventually dropped.