TROY – A man wounded in a high-profile August 2017 police shooting has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city and the officer who shot him.

An attorney for Dahmeek McDonald alleged in court papers that Officer Jarrod Iler subjected McDonald to "excessive, unreasonable, racist and deadly force" on Aug. 15, 2017. Video from the scene showed a bloodied McDonald — who was 22 at the time — pleading, "Why'd you-all shoot me?"

In July, a grand jury cleared Iler of any wrongdoing following an inquiry by Schenectady County District Attorney Robert Carney, who served as special prosecutor in the case after the recusal of Rensselaer County District Attorney Joel Abelove.

The investigation into the shooting took 10 months. Schenectady County Assistant District Attorney Amy Burock presented 47 witnesses who testified over 11 days before a grand jury. Carney said an FBI ballistics analysis "largely corroborated" Iler's account that he fired four shots at McDonald's white 2010 Honda CRV: two hit the windshield, while the other two struck the driver's side door.

At the time of the incident, McDonald was on parole. In March 2014, he had been one of three teenagers who led police on a wild chase from Troy to Albany that ended with their car crashing into a concrete wall by the Dunn Memorial Bridge. McDonald, who tried to flee by jumping off a bridge railing, was ultimately found possessing cocaine. He was sentenced to four years in prison.

Prior to the 2017 shooting, McDonald had been wanted for a parole violation and had removed a GPS ankle monitor. An informant tipped off parole officers that McDonald was in Troy near the intersection of Eighth and Rensselaer streets. Carney said Iler drove to the vicinity and saw a car matching McDonald's. Iler partially blocked the CRV with his police vehicle, got out and recognized McDonald as the driver.

The officer told investigators he fired four shots as McDonald's vehicle moved toward him; McDonald told investigators he was trying to drive away from police. One bullet struck McDonald's forearm and another grazed his temple.

After Carney released the grand jury's findings, McDonald's lawyer Mark Mishler said he and his client were "dismayed, but not surprised, by the outcome of this investigation, which unfortunately fits into a now-standard pattern in this country by which police officers who use deadly physical force against unarmed civilians are rarely charged."

An initial conference in the lawsuit case is scheduled for Feb. 12 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christian Hummel.

Citing the pending litigation, a spokesman for Troy Mayor Patrick Madden declined comment.