Federal lawsuit alleges police violated rights of 16-year-old

Jace Radke

Tuesday, May 11, 2004 | 10:13 a.m.

An amended federal lawsuit filed Monday alleges that a Metro Police officer violated a 16-year-old's civil rights in 2002 when the officer chased and shot the teen after spotting him with a pellet gun.

According to the suit, Antwaine Lewis ran from officers Chris Curtis and Richard Moreno when he was spotted walking in the Summer Hill apartment complex, 3630 East Owens Ave., on Oct. 16, 2002.

Curtis fired four shots striking Lewis once in the back after Lewis had thrown the pellet gun away, according to the complaint that asks for unspecified damages against Curtis, Moreno and Metro Police.

The suit, filed by Latasha Brown, the guardian of the now 17-year-old Lewis, states that Lewis suffered permanent injuries because of the incident.

Curtis and Moreno were in the complex looking for a wanted suspect when they noticed Lewis with a suspicious bulge in his pants that appeared to be a gun, police said after the shooting.

Police said that Lewis pulled the pellet gun from his pants and pointed it at officers causing Curtis to fire.

The suit further alleges that after the shooting, Moreno and Curtis kicked and beat Lewis.

Lewis was taken to the hospital where he was treated and released the same day, and was then booked into the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center on a felony charge of resisting an officer. Lewis is now out of custody and his case is in discovery, said Lewis' attorney Peter Goldstein.

A trial date is set for Dec. 6, 2004, before U.S. District Court Judge Robert Johnston.