A man who was paralyzed when a Waterloo police officer shot him in April is suing the officer, who has not been named. Marcelino Alvarez-Victoriano contends the shooting was not justified. Authorities say a police officer shot Alvarez-Victoriano after he pointed a pellet gun that looked like a shotgun at two Black Hawk County sheriff’s deputies. The lawsuit filed Thursday questions the official version of events. It notes that few details have been released months after the shooting. Black Hawk County Attorney Brian Williams says he’s still reviewing whether the officer’s use of force was justified. Williams said he would also forward his findings to the attorney general’s office for a potential second review. Waterloo Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald says the officer has been cleared internally. Alvarez-Victoriano was charged with misdemeanors for the incident. Police have declined to arrest him since his July 10 release from the hospital due to the care his paralysis would require with Williams saying the jail is simply not equipped to handle him.
