Joliet Cop, City Sued for Injuries from T-Shirt Air Cannon

A woman who says she was seriously injured at last year's Taste of Joliet after being struck by a T-shirt fired from an air cannon has sued the Joliet police officer who fired it, the city of Joliet and the Joliet Park District.

An amended lawsuit, filed this week in Will County Circuit Court, alleges Debra Simmons was standing near the Joliet Memorial Stadium music stage on July 1, 2012, when Officer Kevin O'Boyle directed the cannon at her and fired a T-shirt "canister" that struck her in the head.

The action caused "injuries to her head, face, teeth and cervical spine, causing her to experience pain and suffer disability and disfigurement, incur expenses for medical treatment, lose time and wages from her employment, and sustain damage to her property."

The city is named in the suit as O'Boyle's employer and the park district as the Taste of Joliet organizer. Also named as a defendant is D'Arcy Buick GMC Inc., which is not only the main sponsor of the festival but also the owner of the T-shirts being shot into the crowd, the lawsuit said.

The origianal suit was filed in February, but sought damages from D'Arcy only. This amended version now names the other three defendants.

Greg Wise, Joliet's assistant corporation counsel, said the city has received the suit but has not had time to investigate the claims.

"We're currently reviewing it at this time," Wise said. "We will vigorously defend the city of Joliet and police officer O'Boyle."
  
The suit claims O'Boyle, and the city as his employer, were negligent because O'Boyle didn't follow instructions on how to use the air gun, fired it too close and aimed it directly at Simmons rather than into the air.

D'Arcy was cited for not warning the crowd that T-shirts were about to be fired at them and the park district failed to supervise the situation and allowed an unauthorized person to use the air cannon, the suit said.