The parents of a teenager who was shot and killed by a Pennsylvania State Trooper in Philadelphia in June of 2023 are filing a lawsuit against the officers.
Anthony Allegrini Sr. and his wife Jennifer Allegrini filed the lawsuit through the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on Friday.
The Allegrinis filed the suit for their late son Anthony Allegrini Jr., as well as Giovanni Patete, Vincent Tribuiani, William Soper who were all in the vehicle with Allegrini on the night of the incident.
"He was just a happy, go-lucky, goofy kid. He liked to joke around and make people laugh, not take anything too seriously," his mother said.
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The civil suit names Pennsylvania State Trooper Robert Sobeck Jr. as well as unnamed other state troopers and unnamed Philadelphia police officers as defendants.
"We're focusing on having the officer charged, that's the most important thing to us. The amount of money doesn't mean anything, it's basically worthless to us," his father said.
It says that the officers and troopers violated the Fourth Amendment rights of the four teenagers by uses of excessive force, assault, false arrest, wrongful death action, and other related accusations.
The federal lawsuit says that the trooper used excessive force on Anthony Allegrini Jr. and never tried to save his life as he was bleeding on the ground.
The Allegrinis are asking for $50 million as part of the civil suit.
"We are going to get justice for the Allegrini family one way or another," the family's lawyer Enrique L1 Latoison explained.
The civil suit then goes on to say what happened that night that led to the shooting death of Allegrini.
Allegrini shot, killed by trooper
At around 3:30 a.m. on Interstate 95 South at Chestnut Street in Philadelphia on June 4, 2023, Allegrini was driving his car with Patete, Tribuiani and Soper, according to the suit.
Allegrini then pulled his car over onto the shoulder of the highway joining several other cars to watch vehicles on the northbound side of I-95 perform "tricks." Once parked, the four men got out of the car to see the "tricks" before getting back into the car and leaving the area.
As the men got back into the car, State Trooper Sobeck pulled up and blocked Allegrini's car with his own vehicle followed by more troopers and police officers.
The lawsuit alleges that Sobeck climbed on top of Allegrini's vehicle and fired his weapon one time through the front windshield. Allegrini was struck one time in his chest while he was sitting in the driver's seat of his car.
Sobeck then shouted at the four men in the car telling them to get out of the vehicle. Once they got out of the car, the trooper told them to get to the ground. Allegrini collapsed to the ground from his wound.
The suit accuses the troopers and officers of not providing medical attention to Allegrini despite him asking for help.
According to the lawsuit, Sobeck, the state troopers and the police officers prevented medics with the Philadelphia Fire Department from going to Allegrini to help him as he bled from his gunshot wound.
Patete, Tribuiani and Soper were illegally handcuffed, according to the suit. Patete was able to walk away, but Tribuiani and Soper were taken to State Police barracks where they were questioned and held for several hours before release.
When state troopers arrived to the scene they said that they found several vehicles illegally blocking the roadway with drivers drag racing, doing “burnouts” and “drifting” as a crowd of spectators watched outside of their cars, investigators said. Officials said that similar incidents had been reported earlier as well.
Police tried to stop one of the drivers, later identified as 18-year-old Anthony Allegrini Jr. of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. Allegrini allegedly failed to yield and struck two of the troopers with his car. One of the troopers then pulled out his service weapon and opened fire, shooting through the car's front windshield and striking Allegrini at least once. Allegrini was pronounced dead at the scene by medics.
The two troopers who were struck suffered minor leg injuries, investigators said.
"Due to the continuing investigation and the pending status of the litigation, we cannot comment," a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Police said in a statement to NBC10.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
Loved ones speak out
Following the shooting, Allegrini's girlfriend, Reagan Hocking, told NBC10 her boyfriend was a car enthusiast.
"He loves all cars," she said. "He drove an Audi S4. He loves it. He pays for it."
Hocking described the gathering where Allegrini was shot as a "car meet."
"I do agree that that might not be the most safe thing to do in the world," she said. "But what's not safe is a cop showing up and killing an innocent life."
Hocking also disputed the original report from state police, claiming Allegrini was shot when he was outside of a vehicle rather than inside as investigators said. She referenced a social media video that appears to show a man bloody and moving on the ground while a state trooper stands with his gun pointed. NBC10 has not verified the authenticity of that video.
Then, Allegrini's father, mother and sister appeared at a press conference with their attorney Enrique L1 Latoison.
Speaking on their behalf at the time, Latoison said the family wants full transparency and all available video of the incident released.
Latoison said Allegrini graduated from high school last year, worked three jobs and was never in trouble with the law.
"This was not somebody that was involved with doing donuts in the middle of Philadelphia," Latoison said. "He was not involved with blocking 95. He was a spectator in this event."
