I-95 shooting: Parents file lawsuit against PA state trooper in fatal shooting of Anthony Allegrini Jr.
I-95 shooting lawsuit details: Parents sue PA state trooper in fatal shooting of son Anthony Allegrini Jr.
FOX 29's Chris O'Connell has the details surrounding the lawsuit parents of slain 18-year-old Anthony Allegrini Jr. filed against the PA state trooper they say is responsible for their son's death. Watch.
PHILADELPHIA - Nine months after the death of their son, Anthony Allegrini Jr., the parents of the Glen Mills 18-year-old have filed a $50 million federal lawsuit against the Pennsylvania State Police Trooper who they say shot and killed him.
The incident happened during a street racing gathering last June along I-95 near Penn's Landing and has left the family seeking answers.
Family, friends and attorneys of the teenager gathered outside the Pennsylvania State Police headquarters on Belmont Avenue Tuesday afternoon demanding justice for Allegrini.
"You cannot fathom or understand the amount of pain and anguish and suffering and anger we have in this household," said his father, Anthony Allegrini Sr.
According to the lawsuit, Allegrini and three friends were watching illegal street racing as spectators in his 2019 Audi when the fatal encounter unfolded on June 4, 2023.
Although the Trooper involved in the fatal shooting has not been officially identified by PA State Police, the lawsuit names Trooper Robert Sobeck as the one who fired the fatal shot, killing Allegrini.
"Without any warning or justification or probable cause, Officer Sobek got out of his vehicle with his weapon drawn and immediately walked up to Anthony Allegrini’s front windshield and fired one shot" said Attorney Joseph Oxman, who filed the civil rights complaint Friday in US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania claiming "excessive force".
The suit also claims "unknown" state troopers and Philadelphia Police hindered medical attention, allowing Allegrini to bleed to death on the highway for more than an hour after the shooting.
The family wants the Trooper criminally charged and held accountable.
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"The priority is to get this officer charged with murder" said Allegrini Sr.
A spokesperson with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office tells Fox 29 the case remains active and ongoing with its Special Investigations Unit.
However, according to the DA’s office, the absence of body-worn cameras on Pennsylvania State Police Troopers has presented a challenge in the investigation.
The Allegrini family says they have received no explanations from authorities regarding the fatal shooting.
The estate of Allegrini Jr. along with his three friends with him that night, Giovanni Patete, Vincent Tribuiani and William Soper, are named as plaintiffs in the case seeking $50 million in damages.
"We will not remain silent and stay on the sidelines any longer. It’s time to move this forward. It’s time to get accountability, it’s time to get justice for this family" said family attorney Enrique Latoison.
A spokesperson for the PA State Police declined to comment on the pending litigation. They also would not reveal the current employment status of Trooper Sobeck.