Judge dismisses wrongful death lawsuit against JPD in 2014 shooting

JACKSON, Tenn. — This week brings a new development in a federal lawsuit filed in a deadly police-involved shooting almost two years ago in east Jackson.

The wrongful death lawsuit filed by Cinque D’Jahspora’s family against the Jackson Police Department and city has been dismissed as of Thursday.

Shortly after the November 2014 shooting of Cinque D’Jahspora, Jackson police released the video from the officer’s car showing what happened during the officer’s quick and deadly encounter with the 20-year-old.

The deadly confrontation caught on camera between Jackson police officer Raymond Bond and D’Jahspora led to the D’Jahspora family filing a wrong death lawsuit in 2015 in federal court with L’Sana D’Jahspora, Cinque’s father, representing himself.

A question for the D’Jahspora family was whether the police department had altered the video before releasing it. U.S. District Judge James Todd said there was no evidence of that claim.

Jackson City Attorney Lewis Cobb said D’Jahspora had more than enough time to provide evidence to support his allegation.

“The court had given them several months to provide information that would refute the city’s claims, and they never did,” Cobb said.

According to court documents, the family said they could “offer analysis of key frames” of the video showing it is “inaccurate and incomplete.”

Cinque was seen on video released by the police department throwing what police said was a hammer at Officer Bond before stabbing him in the shoulder. That’s when Bond fired at the 20-year-old, killing him.

WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News attempted multiple times to speak with the D’Jahspora family for their reaction to the lawsuit’s dismissal, but all attempts were unsuccessful.

L’Sana D’Jahspora previously spoke with WBBJ on the one-year anniversary of his son’s death. “What happened to our son is part of a larger phenomenon around this country,” D’Jahspora said.

Court records state the family did not file a motion to extend the deadline or make any changes to the complaint. If the D’Jahspora family reaches out to WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News, we’ll let you know what they have to say about the lawsuit’s dismissal.