Suit: 2016 police shooting of 14-year-old wasn't justified

ST. LOUIS -- A 14-year-old who was critically wounded in a 2016 St. Louis police shooting was unarmed and waiting to discuss a video-game trade with a friend when two officers searching for a stolen car began to chase him and opened fire, according to a lawsuit.

The suit's contention that Tyron Edwards was unarmed contradicts what then-police Chief Sam Dotson's said at the time of the shooting. Dotson said police shot the teen after he fired at them. Dotson also said police found the teen's semiautomatic pistol at the scene, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

But Edwards' lawyer, Jerryl Christmas, said there is "no dispute" Edwards was unarmed, adding DNA tests on the pistol from the scene weren't a match to Edwards. Christmas also said juvenile authorities later dropped charges against Edwards, who is now 19.

The suit, filed last week in St. Louis Circuit Court, also said the officers made no orders to stop before firing at least 11 shots toward Edwards. He was struck in the back. That differs from Dotson's initial statement of witnesses reported hearing the chasing officers identify themselves as police and order the teen to get down.

The City Counselor's Office and the police department declined comment.