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Mpls man partially paralyzed after being shot by teen
A Minneapolis man was partially paralyzed after he was shot by a 14-year-old, and is now frustrated with the Hennepin County Attorney's Office over the handling of the case. FOX 9's Maury Glover has the story.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - About a quarter of the cases received by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office involve juveniles, and one case in particular has a Minneapolis man upset.
Amos Manneh is partially paralyzed and has to relearn how to do everything from walking to sitting up straight.
But he says the pain of his injuries is compounded by the way the case against the teenager who put him in a wheelchair is being handled.
"It's been hard. It's totally life-changing. I definitely hope that the kid gets what he's supposed to as far as law and order," said Manneh.
Manneh says he was shot in the neck in South Minneapolis on July 3 by three people who were trying to rob him. He says two of them were his cousins, while the third was a 14-year-old friend of theirs.
Minneapolis police say a 14-year-old has been charged with assault in this case, but Manneh believes the teenager should face harsher consequences.
"The kid is being charged with first degree assault. He shot me in my neck. This is clear attempted murder," said Manneh.
In a statement, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office said, "Given the age of the suspect, we cannot comment on the specific details of this case, but we are following all policies and procedures in this case carefully."
But Manneh is worried the teen will get a light sentence or probation.
"I'm hurt here, sitting in a hospital bed every day and the fact is this kid knows he's about to get out because they claim he doesn't have a background," said Manneh.
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office has received about 1900 juvenile cases so far this year. 42% of those were charged, 38% were diverted, 8% are still pending.
Of the nine juvenile attempted homicide cases the office has received so far this year, 55% of those were charged, while 22% are still pending and 22% were sent back to police for further investigation.
"A lot of people say Minneapolis is a horrible city and it's such a terrible city. It's really not. This is a good place filled with a lot of good people. It's just being overrun by juveniles that aren't being charged correctly," said Manneh.
Manneh has started a GoFundMe to help with his medical expenses. If you would like to help, click here.
Here is the full statement from the Hennepin County Attorney's Office regarding the case:
"Mr. Manneh suffered a terrible injury as a result of this violent act. Our victim services staff will continue to be in contact with him to provide information and support.
Given the age of the suspect, we cannot comment on the specific details of this case but we are following all policies and procedures in this case carefully.
In all cases, charging decisions are nuanced and must rely on tying the facts of the case to specific elements of an offense. And in juvenile cases, there are often evaluations ordered by the judge to provide critical insights on a youth’s history and needed interventions."