On August 7, 2017, at approximately 1:22 a.m., 31-year-old Brandon Smith was shot in the neck outside his grandmother Mary Smith's residence in Broadview, Illinois. Following the shooting, Mary promptly called 911 to seek emergency medical assistance for her grandson. Brandon initially entered his grandmother's house but later returned outside to the curb, awaiting the arrival of paramedics. Before medical personnel could reach the scene, Officer Eric Davis from the Village of Broadview Police D
epartment, along with other unidentified officers, arrived and began questioning Brandon. During this time, the officers neither provided medical aid nor summoned additional assistance. They also prevented Mary, a certified nursing assistant, from administering care to her grandson, warning her that she would be arrested if she left her house. Paramedics eventually arrived around 2:00 a.m., but Officer Davis and the other officers hindered them from immediately treating Brandon. As a result of the delays, Brandon went into cardiac arrest, was transported to a hospital, and was pronounced dead at approximately 2:17 a.m. ((https://casetext.com/case/smith-v-vill-of-broadview?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
Later that night, officers from the West Suburban Major Crimes Task Force (WESTAF) entered Mary's home, preventing anyone from entering or leaving. Brandon's cousin, Tavaris, managed to sneak into the house during this time. WESTAF officers obtained a search warrant authorizing them to search for and seize various items related to Brandon's death, including clothing, cellular phones, firearms, and other evidence. In executing the search, Detective James Lazansky and other unidentified WESTAF officers caused significant damage to Mary's home, destroying doors, cutting holes in the ceiling, and rummaging through personal belongings. They seized $10,000 in cash, jewelry, prescription medication, and other items that did not fall within the scope of the warrant. During the search, the officers refused to let Mary leave her home, found Tavaris and forced him to remove his pajamas, and brought a K-9 unit to assist in the search. They also confiscated personal phones belonging to Mary and Tavaris. ((https://casetext.com/case/smith-v-vill-of-broadview?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
Following these events, Brandon's mother, Dormie Smith, visited the Broadview Police Department to file a complaint regarding the treatment of her family. She was informed that no complaint forms existed and that she could not file a complaint. As of the filing of the lawsuit, Brandon's family had not received any information about the identity of the shooter, and the police had not returned the seized items. On August 7, 2019, Mary, Tavaris, and Dormie Smith filed a twenty-one count complaint against various police officers, municipalities, and entities, including the Village of Broadview, the Village of Riverside, the Village of Berwyn, WESTAF, Officer Eric Davis, Detective James Lazansky, and other unknown officers. The lawsuit alleged violations of civil rights, denial of medical care, unlawful seizure, and other claims related to the handling of Brandon's shooting and the subsequent investigation. ((https://casetext.com/case/smith-v-vill-of-broadview?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
As of the latest available information, there have been no reports of arrests or identification of suspects related to Brandon Smith's death. The case remains unresolved, with the family seeking justice and accountability through legal action. ((https://casetext.com/case/smith-v-vill-of-broadview?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
