ST. LOUIS — The family of a St. Louis teen killed by local police says the 17-year-old was fleeing and didn't have a working weapon when he was gunned down in an alley last summer, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday.

Emeshyon Wilkins' parents say the city should be held liable for his wrongful death because he posed no risk to officers, the suit says.

"Sadly, it remains a bad idea to be a young man of color in this city," local attorney Al Watkins, who is representing the Wilkins family, said in a news release.

Police declined to comment on pending litigation.

On June 18, police said members of an anti-crime task force tried to stop a Mazda SUV that had been picked up by multiple license plate readers in recent days as being a stolen vehicle.

The car didn't stop, and officers chased it into the city's Penrose neighborhood where they put down spike strips. The vehicle came to a stop several blocks later at Whittier Street and Maffitt Avenue, just south of Fairground Park, police said at the time.

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Wilkins and another teen then jumped out of the car and ran away from officers, police said, while a third juvenile stayed in the car.

Police said Wilkins pointed a gun at them, and officers then shot him in the alley. They recovered suspected drugs from his body and a gun nearby.

The family's lawsuit, however, which names the city and a police officer only identified as "John Doe," says Wilkins had only a disassembled gun in his front pocket and wasn't a risk to anyone.

They are seeking an unspecified amount of damages.

Post-Dispatch photographers capture hundreds of images each week; here's a glimpse at the week of April 27, 2025. Video edited by Jenna Jones.

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