The family of a 16-year-old wounded during an October 2025 traffic stop has filed a lawsuit this week that names former Austin police officer James McKinney and the City of Austin. The suit says the shooting left the teen with permanent injuries and life-long care needs, accuses McKinney of using unconstitutional deadly force, and claims the city failed to properly train and supervise its officers. The family is seeking more than $1 million in damages as the civil case moves ahead.
According to the complaint, as reported by KXAN, McKinney followed a car after witnessing gunfire and then fired at the moving vehicle, hitting the passenger identified in filings as J.M.G. The lawsuit argues that the shots violated the teen’s Fourth Amendment rights and that Austin Police Department policy limiting when officers can shoot at moving vehicles did not allow deadly force in this situation. The filing also says the teen’s injuries are permanent and will require ongoing medical care.
APD timeline: what officers say happened
In an APD news release, the City of Austin says McKinney, who had about a year and five months of service at the time, reported seeing someone fire a gun from the passenger seat of a vehicle near Northgate Boulevard and Rundberg Lane. He then followed the car to the 9200 block of Parkfield Drive. According to the department’s account, McKinney got out of his patrol car without turning on his overhead lights or siren and fired two rounds as the car turned onto Quail Park Drive. Officers later found the vehicle and the wounded 16-year-old in the passenger seat…