The family of shooting victim Yosif Al-Hasnawi is suing Hamilton police, paramedics and St. Joseph’s Heathcare Hamilton for $10 million, alleging the 19-year-old “Good Samaritan” would not have died were it not for the “negligence” of the organizations.

Al-Hasnawi’s father, Majed, and teenage brothers, Mahdi and Ahmed, said they have suffered emotionally and financially following Yosif’s death and seeing him “on the ground writhing in pain” that early December night.

Al-Hasnawi’s “untimely and tragic death” has “deprived” his father and brothers of “his care, companionship, and guidance and also prevented him contributing to and elevating” their standard of living,” alleges a statement of claim filed in a Hamilton court earlier this month.

The allegations have not been proven in court and statements of defence have not yet been filed.

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Al-Hasnawi was shot dead after trying to stop two men from harassing an older man on the street outside his mosque, the Al-Moustafa Islamic Centre on Main Street East, where he had been attending a religious celebration.

Multiple witnesses and family have accused first responders of seemingly not believing the “Good Samaritan” had been shot and claimed paramedics said Al-Hasnawi was faking it.

The single gunshot wound to the stomach was small and not bleeding heavily, leading some to speculate it was a pellet gun — but police have said it was actually a small-calibre handgun.

A span of 38 minutes passed between the arrival of paramedics on scene and Al-Hasnawi’s admittance to hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour after being shot.

The statement of claim alleges neither police nor paramedics administered first aid or emergency treatment and did not quickly transport him to the nearest hospital, which was the Hamilton General. It goes on to allege “negligent treatment” by St. Joseph’s when Al-Hasnawi arrived there.

Niagara Regional Police launched a criminal investigation into the paramedics’ response in late December at the request of Hamilton police. That investigation takes precedence over another probe by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care under the Ambulance Act.

Al-Hasnawi, a first-year Brock University student and the oldest of five children, aspired to become a doctor — a career he planned to use to continue helping his family attain a “comfortable standard of living” as he had already been doing through his part-time job, the statement of claim reads.

After he became a doctor, he planned to keep living with his family, help his brothers with their education and assist his father, who is disabled, according to the statement of claim.

Since he was 10, Al-Hasnawi repaired items, including electronics, for money — income he shared with the family to help pay for rent, food, utilities and other expenses, the lawsuit reads.

“Through the untimely death of Yosif, all of these intentions and plans have been destroyed, leaving the plaintiffs in turmoil and distress with no hope of support from the deceased.”

The “tight-knit” family originally from Iraq continues to suffer from “extreme mental and emotional distress,” according to the statement, including recurrent dreams related to Yosif, “intense and prolonged” physical distress when reminded of him, and feelings of detachment and estrangement from others.

The “mental distress” experienced by Al-Hasnawi’s 13- and 15-year-old brothers will likely result in a “loss of educational opportunity,” which will “substantially reduce their earning . . . capacity” in the long run, the statement of claim reads.

On Friday, the city confirmed it had received notice of the lawsuit and is preparing a statement of defence.

“Our thoughts and condolences continue to be with the family of Yosif Al-Hasnawi during this difficult time,” city spokesperson Allison Jones said in an email.

Hamilton police spokesperson Jackie Penman said the service “doesn’t comment on matters that may be before the courts.” St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton spokesperson Maria Hayes said in an email it had received the statement of claim Friday and will be reviewing it.

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Two men arrested by Hamilton police in connection with the homicide are also named in the lawsuit.

Dale Burningsky King, 19, is charged with second-degree murder. James Matheson, 20, is charged with accessory after the fact to murder.

The statement of claim, filed through Toronto lawyer Susan von Achten, also names two unnamed crew members and two unnamed constables. When reached Friday, von Achten declined to comment.