The mother of a man killed by a St. John police officer in January is suing the department.

In a federal lawsuit filed Oct. 3, Sherri Perkins alleged excessive and “unnecessary deadly” force, saying a responding officer failed to deescalate the situation when her son was having a mental health “episode.”

It also alleges officers violated his rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Her son Brandon Perkins, 40, was diagnosed with multiple mental health issues, including paranoid schizophrenia, but hadn’t hurt his parents or the police before, according to filings.

The St. John Police Department and Lake County Sheriff’s Department did not immediately return requests for comment.

Around the time, Brandon was struggling after he had his medication changed, including more mental

See Full Page