INDEPENDENCE, Mo. - The City of Independence, its police department, and a major ambulance provider in the metro face a lawsuit. They're accused of allowing a teenager, hit by a suspect fleeing police, to bleed to death.
Maybe most disturbing is the comment an officer made on tape.
"They're like roaches, man," said the unidentified Independence police officer. "They don't die."
That comment is at the heart of a new lawsuit filed Monday.
"The officer's comment will have to be answered by him," said Sean Pickett, an attorney representing the plaintiffs.
Last November, during a police chase, Wilfredo Pujols ran over Christopher Cooper, 17, who was crossing Noland Road on a bicycle. Pujuols pled guilty for his role in criminal court. But Cooper's family believes "a cowboy atmosphere" within the police department makes them just as liable.
The Cooper's lawsuit alleges police supervisors did not authorize monitor or oversee the high-speed chase leading to Christopher Cooper's death.
It also claims police and paramedics assumed Cooper was dead at the scene and delayed giving him care.
"He bled to death because he was not assessed and they did not get the bleeding under control," Pickett said.
While Cooper bled, Officer Anthony Smith's dash cam capture police laughing and someone said, "They're like roaches man, they don't die."
In a statement, a spokesperson for Medevac MidAmerica, Inc., the parent company for American Medical Response said they are familiar with Cooper's case, and sympathetic to his family. However, the company claims it is not familiar with any negligence.
The attorney for the City of Independence echoed that statement.
"Obviously, the family has experienced a tragedy and our feelings go out to them," said Allen Garner. "As for any allegations, when we get the petition and have a chance to review it, then we will be in a position to respond. Until that time, I really can't comment on any details."
Pickett also makes an issue with Medevac MidAmerica's business license. The lawsuit claims Medevac dissolved its license in Missouri in July of 2007. A spokesperson for Medevac says that is not true.
