AVONDALE, AZ — A mother has filed a Notice of Claim against the Avondale Police Department for the shooting death of her 17-year-old son in February.
On Thursday, Keitha Tucker and her attorney filed the claim against the department after Officer Cardenas Duarte shot and killed her son.
Amarion Hope was shot on February 21 near Dysart and Buckeye roads.
"It's been very hard,” cried Keitha Tucker. “I have a great, supportive system and I've been trying to keep strong."
Tucker just has pictures to remember her 17-year-old son, Amarion.
"He was very smart, intelligent and I miss him,” Tucker said. “He has family that miss him, and I just want justice for my son."
"I'm currently fighting two battles at one time. Dealing with the loss of my son being killed,” Tucker said. “And also, me being diagnosed with breast cancer."
Tucker and her family live in Chicago. She says her son struggled after the pandemic and tried living with his older brother in Indianapolis but ended up leaving for Arizona.
"Amari wanted to travel and basically live his life like a hippie,” Tucker said.
February 21, 2023, Avondale Police responded to a Dollar Store shoplifting report near Dysart and Buckeye Roads.
Based on a description, police believed Hope was the suspect. When Officer Cardenas Duarte approached him, body camera footage showed a struggle between the two.
Tucker said, “I believe that my son was very scared, and he just was trying to get away."
Amarion got free, ran away from the officer, and then Duarte fired five shots at him.
"He was shot and killed for a petty theft that was a misdemeanor and ended his life,” Tucker said.
Police say knives were found in Amarion's possession. The officer claims the teen tried to choke him and take his gun.
For some time, Amarion was unidentified. For a week, Tucker says she couldn’t contact her son. She filed a nationwide missing person’s report. The last time she heard from him was one month before his death.
After seeing a sketch of her son online, she called the Medical Examiner’s Office. She says she was able to identify him through dental records.
ABC15 has confirmed the Maricopa County Attorney's Office is actively reviewing the case to see if charges against the officer are warranted.
Tucker is seeking $25 million in damages.
