Parsa family photo
It started out as a family outing at a laser tag center in a mall outside New Orleans. It ended in the death of Eric Parsa, a severely autistic 16-year-old boy.
The recreational facility called police when the boy had an “experience a sudden sensory outburst,” according to his family and physically confronted his father.
Deputies from the Jefferson Parish arrived and, according to a lawsuit filed by the family, sat on Eric for 9 minutes.
“Never did we ever think that our 16-year-old son with special needs would die in front of our eyes at his age and in the hands of law enforcement,” Eric’s mother, Donna Lou, said at a news conference, according to CNN.
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The Jefferson Parish Sheriff Office called the accusations “malicious.”
“Once deputies arrived, they tried to control the violent teenager’s outbursts to prevent him from again attacking his parents and first responders,” the statement said. “Deputies allowed the teenager’s mother constant access to remain close to her son on the scene so that she could help first responders in defusing her son’s violent behavior.”
The family is seeking unspecified damages and accuse the deputies of using excessive force without taking precautions to make sure their son could breathe.
“They knew he was unarmed. Yet they persisted in dangerously and forcefully restraining (Eric Parsa) without appropriately monitoring his condition, until they killed him,” NOLA reports the lawsuit says.
The newspaper reports surveillance video shows Eric striking his own head repeatedly before hitting his father. The two struggle for four minutes before deputies arrive. Eric also hits an off duty deputy, but working security detail at the mall. The deputy identified as Chad Pitfield throws Eric to the ground. The 300 pound Pitfield then sits on Eric while trying to handcuff him. The mom is seen kneeling next to her son for several minutes.
“Eventually, there were a total of seven JPSO deputies involved, sitting on, handcuffing, shackling, holding down or standing by (Eric Parsa) as he was restrained and held face down on his stomach against the hard surface of the parking lot,” the lawsuit says.
“It wasn’t until his body had gone limp, and he had urinated on himself that the deputies rolled him into a ‘recovery position.’ By then, it was too late,” the lawsuit says.
“Never did we ever think that our 16-year-old son with special needs would die in front of our eyes at this age and in the hands of law enforcement,” the mom said to People. “Unfortunately, it is our reality of a nightmare.”
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