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The family of Porter Burks, a Black man who was shot and killed by Detroit police during a mental health crisis, has filed a multi-million dollar wrongful death lawsuit.
On Tuesday (November 2), Geoffrey Fieger, the Burks family lawyer, announced that they were suing the city and five unnamed officers for $50 million, alleging gross negligence and assault and battery, the Associated Press reports.
Burks' death occurred on October 2 as officers were responding to a call about a knife-wielding man who was having a mental health crisis.
“Drop the knife for me, man. Come here real quick. You’re OK,” a member of the Detroit Police Department’s crisis intervention team told Burks, per body camera footage. “You’re not in any trouble. Can you just talk to me and drop the knife?”
“You’re not in any trouble, OK?” the officer continued. “I just want to help you. I just want to help you, man. OK? Can you just drop the knife for me, please? Please? Whatever you’re going through, I can help you.”
Burks, who police said had schizophrenia, was eventually shot dead as he ran toward officers in the middle of the street. In a matter of three seconds, officers fired 38 shots, 19 of which struck Burk, according to an autopsy report provided by Fieger.
The unnamed officers who opened fire at Burks have been placed on leave as Detroit Police conduct an internal investigation into the shooting.
State police are also investigating the incident and will submit their findings to the Wayne County prosecutor’s office.
Days after Burks' death, Police Chief James White said in a press conference that the mental health crisis in Detroit and across the country “is real.”
In response to the lawsuit, White said the department will continue to advocate for mental health resources and "take every opportunity to improve its response to people suffering from mental illness."
“We firmly believe that if appropriate mental health facilities and treatment plans had been available, this situation may have been avoided,” he said in a statement. “Regrettably, the (department) remains the primary emergency response service for individuals suffering from mental health emergencies.”
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