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Mother Of Driver Who Led Police On Chase Through South Side Files Suit

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The mother of the man accused of leading police on a high-speed chase through the South Side ending with police shooting into his car has filed a civil rights lawsuit.

Donald Burris, 32, is accused of leading police on a chase starting in Homestead and ending on busy E. Carson Street last month before five off-duty police officers opened fire on him and his mother, 49-year-old Lena Davenport, who was a passenger in the car.

Davenport was reportedly shot in the face during the incident and according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, she has filed a suit in federal court.

The newspaper reports that the suit is filed against six police officers-- two from Homestead, four from Pittsburgh -- as well as the cities of Homestead and Pittsburgh.

Burris lived with his mother in Wilkinsburg and prior to January's incident, was wanted on traffic violations in Georgia.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Video of police responding after South Side driver crashes on E. Carson Street:

When police searched Burris' car, they did not find any drugs or contraband.

However, the incident did prompt an investigation into the police department, especially after Ka'Sandra Wade was killed in an alleged domestic violence dispute just hours after police responded to a 911 call at her home.

The two different police incidents are now under review by the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office, the Citizens Police Review Board and the Pittsburgh Police Department's Internal Affairs Division.

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