ST. LOUIS – A new wrongful death lawsuit accuses a St. Louis police officer of fatally shooting a teenager last year who was running away from a car that was believed to be stolen.

The lawsuit was formally filed Tuesday in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, on behalf of the victim’s parents.

On June 18, 2024, according to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, an officer shot and killed an an individual who allegedly pointed a gun at the officer. Police reported that Emeshuon Wilkins, 17, died in the shooting.

Police say officers with the Anti-Crime Task Force attempted to stop an SUV reported to be stolen. The vehicle was spiked and eventually stopped near Whittier Street and Maffitt Avenue in St. Louis’ Baden neighborhood.

Police say two people abandoned the vehicle, which prompted a foot chase. Police also reported that one of those two individuals, later identified as Wilkins, ran into a yard, turned, and pointed a gun at an officer. At some point, an officer fatally shot Wilkins.

No other injuries were reported from the incident. Police have not disclosed the identity of the officer involved in the shooting, but said at the time the officer had served 16 years in law enforcement. The lawsuit refers to the officer as “John Doe.”

The lawsuit claims that Wilkins was “not armed with functional weapon, was actively fleeing on foot, and posed no threat of death or serious physical injury.” It further claims the officer did not investigate or inquire whether Wilkins had a gun and fired his weapon at Wilkins “without justification.”

The lawsuit contends that the officer fired four shots and struck Wilkins in the back of the head.

Two days after the shooting, while identifying Wilkins as the individual killed via social media platform X, police said “the juvenile’s gun” was recovered from the scene.

The lawsuit asks for “general, special, and punitive damages,” in addition to a jury trial.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has declined comment on the lawsuit due to the ongoing investigation into the incident.