Tate-Brown family files new class-action lawsuit seeking police reforms

Brandon Tate-Brown family dropping lawsuit against police over killing
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The family of Brandon Tate-Brown filed a new lawsuit Wednesday seeking federal intervention in reforming the Philadelphia Police Department.

Filed by the mother of 26-year-old Brandon Tate-Brown, who was killed after a traffic stop, the suit seeks no monetary damages but wants the court to take jurisdiction over the implementation of reforms to the police department’s training in areas like use of deadly force that were ordered earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Justice.

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Individuals who believe they were the victims of police brutality in Philadelphia can request to join the suit.

“It was very important for [Tate-Brown’s mother] Tanya Brown-Dickerson to ask a court to force the city to implement these reforms, so that this doesn’t happen to someone else’s son or daughter,” said attorney Brian Mildenberg, who is representing Tate-Brown’s mother Tanya Brown-Dickerson.

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“The practices that were identified by the Department of Justice don’t just affect one person, they affect the entire city, anyone who may come into contact with these police officers who may not have been properly trained in use of force and use of deadly force situations,” he said.

Tate-Brown was killed Dec. 15 after a traffic stop while running for the passenger door to get a gun found later inside his car. But the new lawsuit includes asking the court to find that the police department lied about the shooting — based in part upon surveillance video that shows Tate-Brown was shot while running near the back of his car.

D.A. Seth Williams announced the officers would not face charges in March. The family filed a wrongful death suit seeking financial damages in April, which was merged into this suit.

Anger over the killing of Tate-Brown continues to be expressed by local Black Lives Matter activists as recently as Tuesday night when protesters interrupted a talk at Eastern State Penitentiary by police commissioner Charles Ramsey to demand consequences forthe two 15th District officers involved in Tate-Brown’s stop.