Family sues police over fatal shooting

BOSTON—The family of a man who was fatally shot by Dartmouth police has filed a civil rights lawsuit, claiming he was unarmed and posed no threat to anyone when he was shot.

Lawyers for the family of Joseph Ramos Jr. say he suffered from a neurological disorder, and the use of excessive force was unjustified.

Ramos was killed on Aug. 11 after police responded to reports of a man acting suspiciously.

When police first arrived, Ramos was carrying a nail-studded pole. His family’s lawyers say he obeyed police commands to drop the pole and was shot after a struggle on the ground with one of the officers.

The shooting is being investigated by Bristol District Attorney C. Samuel Sutter.

Dartmouth Police Chief Mark Pacheco did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment.