MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The mother of a 16-year-old shot during a police raid in Mobile, Alabama, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the officers involved and the city. The lawsuit alleges the teenager was “killed in cold blood.”
Randall Adjessom, 16, was asleep in his family home when SWAT officers executed a no-knock warrant just after 5:30 a.m. on November 13, 2023. According to the complaint, the warrant pertained to an investigation of Adjessom’s older brother for suspected marijuana offenses. Adjessom himself was not a suspect, and his brother was not present at the residence.
The use of SWAT officers was attributed to understaffing in the narcotics unit, as per the complaint. Adjessom reportedly emerged from his bedroom with a firearm but raised his hands in surrender once he recognized the officers. Unfortunately, an unnamed officer shot him four times within moments of entering the home.
The lawsuit claims that police failed to provide timely medical assistance, with Adjessom reportedly not reaching an emergency room until 50 minutes after the shooting, despite it being only eight minutes away.
Family members were kept in the living room for hours and were only notified later that Adjessom had been shot, according to the complaint.
In a statement, Adjessom’s mother expressed deep concern over police brutality, challenging the Mobile Police Department’s handling of such incidents.
The federal lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and names the city along with unidentified officers as defendants. A city attorney and a police spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
No-knock warrants have faced increased scrutiny in recent years, particularly after the high-profile case of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky, which ignited nationwide protests. The Justice Department revised its policy regarding the use of such warrants in 2021.
The attorneys for Adjessom’s mother described his death as a tragically preventable event. This incident is one of several high-profile police killings that have raised significant concerns about police conduct in Mobile, leading to a controversial investigation by a former federal prosecutor.
The investigation concluded that while the officer involved followed city protocol regarding the use of force due to Adjessom being armed, the decision to conduct the raid in the early hours did not give adequate consideration to the sanctity of life. It was noted that officers had a “preconceived notion” about the occupants being dangerous, despite no evidence supporting such beliefs.
Frequent misconduct was also highlighted in the investigation, with multiple constitutional violations reported. While the findings did not recommend a Justice Department investigation, they acknowledged the local police department’s willingness to pursue reforms.
An ordinance to ban no-knock warrants was proposed but ultimately failed to pass in the Mobile city council earlier this year.
