DALLAS – Saturday, Dec. 14, became a day of food and reflection for Stephen Lawrence and his family.
They decided against a balloon release to honor Payton Lawrence.
Instead, he filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the officer who Mesquite police said killed the 19-year-old.
“Obviously, you grieve,” Lawrence said. “His whole family is grieving behind what happened.”
The lawsuit was filed in Dallas County against Mesquite Officer Jack Paul Fyall II and the city of Mesquite. MPD had chosen not to publicly name Fyall following the fatal shooting.
On Friday, Lt. Michael Kelly said the department could not provide further comments or additional information due to the pending litigation. Kelly said inquiries are being handled by the city attorney’s office, which has not responded to CBS News Texas.
The filing is more than 20 pages, accusing Fyall of crossing the line, alleging a pattern by the officer through previous cases, and calling out Mesquite PD for poor training and leadership.