The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, names the city of Newnan, the Newnan Police Department and the officer who fired the fatal shots as defendants. Attorneys for the family said the complaint seeks compensatory and punitive damages and calls for policy changes aimed at preventing similar deaths.

According to the family's legal team, Dorsey was unarmed at the time he was shot. Attorneys described him as a young man with his whole life ahead of him and said the family is seeking accountability through the courts because they believe the criminal justice system has not held the officer responsible.

The shooting has drawn attention from community members in Newnan, a city of roughly 40,000 people about 40 miles southwest of Atlanta, where residents have pressed for transparency about how the encounter unfolded and for the release of any body camera or dashboard footage. The family's attorneys said the lawsuit is intended in part to force the disclosure of records that have so far been withheld.

Legal experts note that federal civil rights lawsuits against municipalities face a high bar, particularly claims that a city's policies or training practices caused a constitutional violation. The case is expected to move through pretrial proceedings over the coming months, with the city likely to contest the allegations.

Attorneys for the family said they intend to hold public events in Newnan to keep residents informed as the case progresses. The city has not publicly commented on the pending litigation.