Anthony Lowe Death: Family Files Multimillion-Dollar Lawsuit For Shooting Of Double Amputee

The family of Anthony Lowe, a Black man whose legs were amputated from the knees down, was shot and killed by the Huntington Park Police Department in California. Now, his family is demanding answers as to why police had to use lethal force to subdue a disabled person.

In a multimillion-dollar lawsuit, the family accused the city officials of outright civil rights violation and demanded prosecution of the officers who shot Lowe, ABC 7 reported.

36-year-old Lowe was killed on Jan. 26 after he was involved in a stabbing incident and allegedly threatened officers with a knife after they arrived at the scene.

A statement by the police department said Lowe ignored commands and "threatened to advance or throw the knife," as quoted by NBC Los Angeles, forcing officials to use a stun gun to try and subdue him but failed.

"The suspect continued to threaten officers with the butcher knife, resulting in an officer-involved shooting," HPPD said, per the outlet. The total number of officers present at the scene or involved in the arrest wasn't immediately known.

Officers fired shots at Lowe, a wheelchair-bound man, killing him on the spot. A grainy bystander video captured moments before the gunfire showed Lowe clearly in fear for his life, ABC 7 reported.

"You could tell he was in fear for his life," Ebonique Simon, the mother of Lowe's son told the news outlet. "He had no legs. It could have been handled any other way."

Simon said Lowe had recently lost both his legs in an accident in Texas and was suffering from depression. The HPPD declined to comment on the incident.

The police department said it plans to hold a press conference Monday where they are expected to show audio and video of the "brutal stabbing" Lowe was involved in before officers fatally shot him.

The involved officers are placed on administrative leave while Huntington Park police, the Homicide Bureau under LA County Sheriff's Department, and the LA County District Attorney's Office investigate the shooting.