PHILADELPHIA - The City of Philadelphia and an unknown police officer are accused of snapping pictures of a man's suicide and sharing them with the world.
A lawsuit was filed Jan. 31 in Philadelphia federal court against the City of Philadelphia and an unnamed police officer, referred to as John Doe #1, by Karen Brookins, represented by attorneys John J. Coyle and Mark V. Maguire of McEldrew Purtell.
Brookins alleges that following her son Marcus Boone's suicide on March 18, 2022, John Doe #1 took photographs of her son's body and shared them on social media platforms including Facebook and the Citizen App. These photos were subsequently shown to Brookins by strangers causing her severe emotional distress.
Boone had jumped off a bridge on I-95 after suffering from mental health issues. Police were there before he jumped and had established a perimeter.
"The photographs were shown to Mrs. Brookins by complete strangers resulting in severe and traumatic mental pain and anguish. These photographs can still be found on the internet and likely will persist there in perpetuity," the suit says.
The plaintiff accuses John Doe #1 and the City of Philadelphia of violating her Fourteenth Amendment right to privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress under state law. She is demanding a jury trial for all issues and claims set forth in this complaint.