Incident
Date | Jun 24, 2012 |
Time | 03:00 AM |
Department | Buffalo Police Department |
Officers | Karl B. Schultz , Jason A. Whitenight |
Address | Buffalo, NY |
Incident Description
Wilson Morales was shot by Buffalo police officers after a car chase on the city’s East Side. The bullet that struck Morales, then a 17-year-old student at WNY Maritime Charter School, instantly paralyzed him from the chest down.
Outcome
Morales, who is still recuperating, faces trial on charges of assaulting a police officer and unlawfully fleeing from a police officer.
Buffalo’s Common Council authorized one of the largest lawsuit settlements in the city’s history: $4.5 million to Morales. A grand jury cleared Officer Karl B. Schultz and a partner at the time, Jason R. Whitenight, agreeing they fired in self-defense as the teenager backed the van he was driving toward Whitenight at the tail-end of a high-speed chase.
Links
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3 officers cleared of wrongdoing in on-duty shootings
Karl B. Schultz, 26, and Jason R. Whitenight, 28, were cleared in the shooting of Wilson Morales, 17, at French and Moselle streets, about 3 a.m. June 24, following a high-speed car chase. - Matt Gryta of The Buffalo News
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Police shooting costs Buffalo $4.5 million
Buffalo’s Common Council authorized one of the largest lawsuit settlements in the city’s history: $4.5 million to Wilson Morales, who was shot by Buffalo police officers, after a car chase on the city’s East Side. The bullet that struck Morales, then a 17-year-old student at WNY Maritime Charter School, instantly paralyzed him from the chest down. Eight years after the incident, Morales remains in a wheelchair, paralyzed by the bullet. - Geoff Kelly of Investigative Post
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Eight years later, case is settled in police shooting
There was an eyewitness, a prisoner in the back of the police car. His recollection gave credence to Morales' story. Input was sought from experts in crime reconstruction who reviewed ballistics information. Their findings also aligned with the victim's version of events. An officer involved in the incident, submitted two different incident reports, one of which contained an admission that he may have continued firing at Morales' van as it pulled away from the scene. - WBFO | Jay Moran