LAFAYETTE PARISH — The parents of 19-month-old Kaci Cyprian, who was fatally injured during a police-involved shooting last year, have filed a lawsuit against the Lafayette Police Department and the City of Lafayette.
The lawsuit, filed in the 15th Judicial District Court by Jowanna Washington and Trenton Cyprian, alleges negligence on the part of the officers involved in the August 2023 incident. The incident occurred on August 5, 2023, at a home on the 100 block of S. General Marshall.
Officers were responding to a domestic disturbance involving Kaci's uncle and then girlfriend when shots were fired, resulting in the death of young Kaci. The lawsuit claims that the actions of the officers on the scene directly led to her death.
Kaci's four-year-old brother was also injured, sustaining a gunshot wound to his arm. Additionally, Kaci's great aunt, two officers, and the suspect involved in the incident were injured.
The parents are demanding transparency and justice, calling for a full investigation into the circumstances of their daughter’s death. "We just want the truth to be revealed," said Jowanna Washington, who was not in the home at the time of the shooting.
In a phone conversation with KATC, Washington expressed the family’s deep distress over the lack of information provided by authorities since the shooting.
The Lafayette Police Department could not comment on the ongoing lawsuit, while the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office has yet to release any findings from its investigation of the shooting.
The family's frustration has been further heightened by what they say has been lack of transparency from the authorities.
In their lawsuit, Kaci's parents allege officers used, "unreasonable force," which resulted in Kaci’s death. The family claim they have been unable to obtain body cam footage of the shooting or an autopsy.
Kaci’s great aunt, who was also injured during the incident, spoke emotionally about the loss. "I still can see my niece," she told KATC. "I saw when she died, how she fell, it plays over and over in my head like a movie."
Kaci’s mother, Jowanna, says she is waiting to see what comes next as the family continues to seek justice and answers for their daughter's untimely death.
