Federal jury finds in favor of CPD officers in lawsuit over fatal shooting

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A federal jury has ruled in favor of the City of Chicago and police officers in the wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Darius Pinex.

Pinex, 27, was fatally shot by two Chicago police officers who pulled him over in January 2011. The case took four years to get to federal court, and it took a jury less than a day to deliberate. Pinex's grieving family found the jury's decision hard to take.

"My son gone for nothing. How dare they, how dare 'em," said Gloria Pinex, Darius Pinex's mother.

Darius Pinex was killed when a traffic stop went wrong in 2011. Chicago police allege Pinex motioned toward a gun under his seat and moved his vehicle.

The attorney for Pinex's family contended the officers overreacted in a wrongful death lawsuit against the City two Chicago Police officers. Jurors deliberated for seven hours and found in favor of the officers.

"I can't believe they just put them back on the street like that and just murdered my brother like that. That just hurts so bad," said Todja Pinex, sister of Darius Pinex.

"I don't feel safe when I go inside my neighborhood. Anytime I go somewhere, I feel like I have to be linked up with somebody because I don't trust the police to pull me over and righteously do their job and not violate my constitutional rights," said Christian Aire, a community activist.

The city's law department said in a statement: "We believe the jury correctly assessed the case in its totality and found the officers acted appropriately under exceptionally challenging circumstances."

In Pinex's case, there were some missing recordings that appeared late in the trial that apparently contradicted the officers' testimony. That issue is still before the court.

The verdict in Pinex's case came as another lawsuit is being filed against the City of Chicago and two unnamed police officers on behalf of 19-year-old Roshad McIntosh.

"It's just so hard for me. I just want justice, that's all I want," said Cynthia Lane, McIntosh's mother.

In August, McIntosh was at his grandmother's house when he was shot and killed on the block. Chicago police have said McIntosh was armed, but the lawsuit contends McIntosh surrendered after being chased into a backyard and was not armed when he was shot by police officers.