SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical expenses and an uncertain future; that’s what an attorney says 26-year-old Eric David Butts faces after being shot by a Springfield Police Officer.
Attorney Josh Roberts says there is little question that Butts’ civil rights were violated. And his client, who is still in the hospital from the May 9 shooting, has a long recovery ahead of him.
“Someone called in and said Mr. Butts was out panhandling and had a warrant,” Roberts said of the incident.
Roberts says his client was wanted for not showing up to court on a burglary case, but what happened next didn’t fit the crime.
“This was a case where the officer confronted Mr. Butts in the daylight and Mr. Butts turned and ran away from him. He didn’t have a weapon, he didn’t act like he had a weapon, he just simply was scared and tried to run,” said Roberts.
Since the shooting, Butts has been in the hospital.
“A lot of reports say he was shot in the butt, but in reality he was shot above the butt and entered his abdomen that required surgery in his stomach and there are severe complications,” said Roberts.
“There is no indication that Mr. Butts was armed at any point,” said Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams during an interview on May 12.
Roberts say he’s going to start, not by filing suit, but by simply writing a letter to the City.
“He’s going to ultimately have a civil rights violation case or at least a claim against the police department,” Roberts says of Butts.
In the explanation of his case, Roberts cites a U.S. Supreme Court case.
“In a case called Tennessee v. Garner. The United State Supreme Court in that case said you cannot shoot an unarmed, fleeing suspect,” Roberts said. “I think it’s clear that the officer in this case violated not only the civil rights of Mr. Butts but, also, Springfield Police Department’s own internal policy.”
Roberts says Butts faces a long recovery.
“$100,000 won’t cover his medical bills, put it that way. As far as putting a number on it or saying were going to file a lawsuit or anything like that we’re not going to do that yet. We’re still investigating, as are they I would hope that we could sit down at some time and try to work this out without resorting to litigation,” said Roberts.
Both the City of Springfield and the Springfield Police Department declined to comment about a pending claim, saying the incident is still under investigation and they haven’t received a letter from Roberts.
The Springfield Police Department is conducting a criminal investigation into the shooting as well as internal investigation into whether department protocol was violated.
Officer Jason Shuck is an 11-year veteran with the Springfield Police Department. He is on paid leave pending the outcome of these investigations.
Shuck had also been awarded a meritorious service award for stopping a man from committing suicide.
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