The parents of a 15-year-old boy decapitated after being hit by a car fleeing police in the Palms district last year are suing the city of Los Angeles, alleging the officers involved acted recklessly and were not properly trained in pursuits.
Nick and Claudia Phoenix, the father and mother of Jack Phoenix, filed the negligence and wrongful death suit Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court. They seek unspecified damages. A spokesman for the City Attorney’s Office did not immediately return a call for comment.
According to the the LAPD, Jack Phoenix was crossing Venice Boulevard at about 8:45 p.m. Nov. 15 when a driver in an allegedly stolen vehicle accelerated to get away from an undercover police car. The teen was in a crosswalk and died as a result of being struck, the suit states.
The city does not have immunity from civil liability because no pursuit policy was adopted at the time consistent with state Vehicle Code regulations and there was no directive for regular training of officers involved in car chases, according to the lawsuit.
Jack Phoenix attended Arete Preparatory Academy and was an aspiring artist.
