SPRINGFIELD — The family of a man who died after being hit by a Springfield police cruiser has announced they plan to file a civil lawsuit against those they feel could have prevented his death.
In June 2021, Eric Cole was shot and lying in the roadway in the 1400 block of South Center Boulevard.
He called dispatchers to tell them he was shot.
Cole later told dispatchers that a police cruiser had just hit him as he was in the roadway.
He later was flown to Miami Valley Hospital where he died from his injuries.
A final autopsy result revealed Cole died from blunt force trauma to the torso and his death was ruled an accident.
Springfield Police Department named Officer Amanda Rosales as the officer who hit Cole. She was never criminally charged.
In a release, attorneys representing the family said they believe the police department only told the truth about Cole’s cause of death after the official autopsy results were revealed.
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The release also names two dispatchers who speak to Cole after he was shot.
The lawsuit alleges the dispatchers failed to properly relay on Eric’s location to officers responding to the scene and other dispatchers.
The release also states Cole’s family believes police did not notify medics promptly that he was run over, preventing them from providing life-saving measures.
Attorneys said they plan to file the lawsuit Wednesday morning and will release more details in a press conference with Ben Crump, nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney.