VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – The family of Deshayla Harris announced Friday that they plan to sue the city of Virginia Beach for $50 million.
“Today we are furthering our fight to get justice,” said Harris family attorney Justin Fairfax.
Harris was killed by a stray bullet during a shooting on 19th Street on March 26, 2021. She was one of nine people who were injured during the shooting.
“I live this day every day, every single day I live March the 26,” said Elisheba Harris, Deshayla’s mother. “How can I fix this if I don’t know what happened to her?”
In a statement from the city just before 10 p.m., it said that “the City of Virginia Beach Police Department continues to work tirelessly to bring DeShayla Harris’s killer to justice and wants that as much as the Harris family does. There is no evidence that a Virginia Beach Police officer or a Virginia Beach Officer’s service weapon was involved in the death of DeShayla Harris.”
Although several people have been arrested in connection with the shootings, no one has been charged in connection to Harris’ death.
Harris’ family filed a ballistics report request with the police department wanting to know the origins of the bullet that killed their loved one. That request was denied due to the pending investigation. Fairfax and co-counsel Thomas Martin said Friday that they too, filed a request that was initially met with no response, then were told the city would get back to them.
The lawsuit alleges the bullet may have come from a Virginia Beach police officer. The police department has previously denied the allegation.
“It is no coincidence that on Sunday the statute of limitations runs so this family would not even be able to file a lawsuit,” Fairfax said.
Fairfax said the Harris family is done waiting and wants action.
“They just fought for these two years to get the truth. Part of the issue here is that we don’t have all the facts because so much has been withheld,” Fairfax said.
In addition to suing the city for $50 million, the family seeks an additional $350,000 in punitive damages.
View a copy of the lawsuit below:
