Mother sues Virginia troopers who killed her son in chase
Apr 15, 2022, 1:31 PM | Updated: 1:53 pm
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The mother of a Black 18-year-old fatally shot by police after a chase last year has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the two state troopers.
LaToya Benton, the mother of Xzavier Hill, filed the complaint Thursday in U.S. District Court in Richmond without legal representation, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. She said at a news conference that other attorneys had declined to take her case but she hopes one will come forward to assist.
“I filed the lawsuit today to get some accountability for my son,” she said.
State police spokesperson Corinne Geller told the newspaper the department does not comment on pending litigation.
Hill, of Charlottesville, was fatally shot in January 2021 after a traffic chase along Interstate 64 outside of Richmond. Authorities said the troopers fired their weapons after Hill displayed a firearm.
A grand jury convened by a local prosecutor was unanimous last year in determining that criminal charges against the troopers were not warranted and that the use of deadly force was justified.
Benton’s lawsuit alleges that the troopers used excessive force and that the shooting was motivated at least in part by the fact that Hill was Black.
Benton is seeking $60 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages.
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