WESTWEGO, La. — Tiffany McGee is thankful her 14-year-old son, Tre’mall, is alive after what she says was a violent encounter with a Jefferson Parish Deputy.
“That’s what I thank God for every day,” said McGee.
It happened March 20th near the intersection of the Westbank Expressway and Central Avenue in Westwego. McGee says her son was riding with friends in a car, unaware the car was stolen. When deputies began following, McGee says the driver pulled over and everyone got out and started running. McGee says when several deputies caught up with her son, he stopped, and complied with orders to lie down on the ground.
“He’s 14-years-old. I can only imagine what his mental state was like at that time,” said McGee.
A short while later, McGee says her son, who was unarmed, felt a gunshot.
“All he knows is his body went numb, after the shot,” said McGee. “I said, ‘well son, who shot you?’ He said, ‘it was a police officer.’ I said, ‘where were you when they shot you?’ He said, ‘I was on the ground, hands behind my back.’”
McGee says the bullet first hit her son’s back near his left shoulder before going through his arm. He was treated at the hospital and then sent to juvenile detention before being released to his mom. Three months later, McGee says she’s getting no answers from the sheriff’s office.
“You’re trying to figure out a way of justifying the fact that you shot a minor, in the back,” said McGee as she talked about the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.
“We’re looking for the truth like everybody else,” said Sheriff Joe Lopinto.
Sheriff Lopinto says state law protecting juveniles prevents him from talking about the case, but confirms an investigation is happening.
“I know people are looking for answers. They’re always looking for answers, but we have a process that is in place,” said Lopinto.
“I can’t even identify the child, the circumstances behind it or anything,” said Lopinto when asked he if could say how the teen was shot.
Attorney Ron Haley is now representing the McGee family.
“He’s a kid, a kid that posed no threat law enforcement,” said Haley. “We want the officers that were participating in this, the officer that shot him to be held accountable.”
Haley also wants to know why the shooting was never made public. Sheriff Lopinto says because the case involves a juvenile charged with a crime, he is legally prohibited from talking about it.
“I was out there on the scene. The facts of it are: no media reported on it that particular night and because it’s a juvenile record there is not going to be a report from us,” said Lopinto
“I want them to take responsibility on what they did. Look me in my eyes and just give me a good reason on why. You were that scared, you were that much of a coward, of someone laying on the ground unarmed,” asked McGee.
McGee says her son was initially charged with illegal possession of stolen things and resisting arrest, but the possession charge was recently dropped. Attorneys are now calling on the state attorney general’s office to look at this case.
Attorneys representing the McGee family are also representing the family of Modesto Reyes, who was shot and killed by a Jefferson Parish deputy last month. A news conference to talk about both cases is set for Tuesday morning.
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