Family of Kaci Cyprian files federal lawsuit against Lafayette police, city
Days after filing a state-level lawsuit against the City of Lafayette and its police department, the parents of Kaci Cyprian, a 19-month-old girl who was killed in the crossfire of a shootout last August, has filed a second suit. This time in federal court.
LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) -- Only days after filing a state-level lawsuit against the City of Lafayette and its police department, the parents of Kaci Cyprian, a 19-month-old girl who was killed in the crossfire of a shootout last August, has filed a second suit. This time in federal court.
Jowanna Washington and Trenton Cyprian lodged their newest action Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, saying they want a federal jury to hear their case.
The lawsuits stem from an incident that occurred in early August 2023, which resulted in an exchange of gunfire between police officers and a person at the home, according to previous reports.
John Mitchell Nicholas was indicted by a grand jury in November. He faces charges including second-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder, domestic battery and fire-arm related charges.
Echoing the state-level action filed on Aug. 1, the parents assert allegations of excessive force, wrongful death and negligence against the Lafayette Police Department in the new lawsuit.
In the federal lawsuit, the family claims the actions of the police department were “motivated by racial discrimination,” and that the police department has refused to release body camera footage from the incident, among other things.
The family told the federal court that the actions of the defendants “may constitute criminal conduct under both federal and Louisiana state law,” and urged the court to refer the matter to the appropriate authorities for investigation and “potential criminal charges.”
The federal lawsuit names The Lafayette Police Department, City of Lafayette, Lafayette Consolidated Government, former Lafayette Police Chief Judith Estorge and three officers who were involved in the shooting.
Washington and Cyprian filed the lawsuits on their own. The family has set up a GoFundMe account to raise money in the hopes of getting a new attorney.