A call for help on a January evening in 2017 ended in the fatal police shooting of Carlos A. Cruz, a 51-year-old Hispanic male. The incident began when Cruz's mother contacted 911, reporting that her son was intoxicated and threatening suicide at their Independence, Missouri, apartment.
Upon their arrival at the Independence Ridge Apartments, officers surrounded the building and ordered everyone inside to exit. Cruz then came outside, holding a shotgun and a bottle of alcohol.
According to a lawsuit later filed by his mother, Cruz placed the shotgun on the porch railing. Police, however, stated that Cruz pointed the weapon at them.
The situation escalated quickly, and an officer fired a single shot from an AR-15 rifle, which struck Cruz in the chest and killed him. The wrongful death lawsuit filed by his mother contends that Cruz was calm, had not threatened anyone, and was in the process of communicating with a negotiating officer when he was shot.
Following an investigation by the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office, it was determined that the officer's use of force was justified, and no criminal charges were filed against him. In response to this decision, Cruz's mother initiated a civil lawsuit against the city of Independence, the police chief, and the officer who fired the fatal shot. The lawsuit alleged that the police treated a mental health crisis as a criminal matter and that there was no justification for the shooting.
