Victim's family files lawsuit in 2011 homicide

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) -- The estate of a 2011 homicide victim is now suing police and the city of New Haven.

Among the things the lawsuit alleges, includes that police ignored the man's cries for help.

The lawsuit claims essentially that the police took a terrible situation and made it worse. Derrick Suggs was wounded, but alive when police got to the scene. However, his attorney says the police mishandled the situation so severely that it contributed to this death.

When looking back at the scene in March of 2011, you can see many evidence markers on West Street in New Haven. Witnesses say they heard 15 to 20 shots fired.

Suggs had come outside to make sure that his long-time girlfriend, Felicia Dawson, was safe as she walked to the store, but he was hit by the bullets from the drive-by shooting.

By all accounts, he was an innocent bystander who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. His girlfriend says, when police arrived on the scene Suggs, who was grievously wounded, was handcuffed by police and even dragged on the ground without a stretcher.

"It shouldn't have happened, all of these things are truly wrong. I mean, this guy was a victim, he was a law-abiding guy who had the misfortune to step outside of his house when there was some shooting going on," said attorney John R. Williams. "But the way that the police responded was totally out of line and I can't imagine any legitimate explanation for that."

There is another issue here; the victim's family has made a formal request asking for the investigative file and other records in the case. The police have so far, refused to turn over any paperwork whatsoever. The family has now filed a wrongful death lawsuit. The city says they will respond accordingly at the appropriate time.