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Family of Eric Logan who was fatally shot by a white police officer in South Bend, Indiana has filed a lawsuit against the officer and the city. The incident occurred when the 54-year-old father of seven, was leaning inside a car when South Bend Sergeant Ryan O’Neill approached him and asked if the vehicle belonged to him, according to the civil rights lawsuit filed earlier this week.

The officer was responding to reports of a burglary and claimed Logan threatened him with a knife. However, the victim’s family denied those allegations and accused the officer of shooting him because of his race.

“The misconduct was objectively unreasonable and undertaken with willfulness and reckless indifference to the rights of others,” the lawsuit stated. “Defendant O’Neill violated Plaintiff’s constitutional rights intentionally subjecting him to unlawful, unequal treatment on the basis of his race.”

The family has also accused the city of failing to train officers for situations similar to this one and adequately punish them for misconduct. The June 16th made national headlines when Mayor Pete Buttigieg 2020 presidential candidate skipped a few scheduled campaign trial stops to meet with community members in South Bend.

“You running for president and you want black people to support you, and vote for you…that’s not going to happen,” one resident told Buttigieg at a town hall meeting last Sunday. After the town meeting Buttigieg sent out an email to supporters after saying the heated meeting reflects the pain of the Black community all across the country.

“It was a painful but needed conversation. And I feel overwhelmed and heartened by the number of people — supporters and critics — who have reached out and made it clear over the past week that they want to join hands and face these problems together,” the mayor wrote. “Our American values are at stake in the need for us to address the deep mistrust of police and governments among communities of color, which flows directly from the consequences of systemic racism.”

Logan’s family is seeking undisclosed compensatory and punitive damages according to ABC News.

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