From [HERE] More than a month after Ezell Ford was fatally shot by officers, his family announced Wednesday that they have filed a $75 million wrongful death lawsuit [PDF] against the Los Angeles Police Department.

Ford, described in the lawsuit as being “mentally challenged,” was shot to death in South L.A. near 65th Street and Broadway on the evening of Aug. 11.

The unarmed man was walking in the area when he was approached by two police officers who asked him to “lie on the ground,” according to the complaint, which was filed in U.S. District Court.

“Within moments, defendant Officers Sharlton Wampler and Antonio Villegas intentionally and/or negligently fatally shot unarmed decedent Ezell Ford, multiple times, with their firearms,” the lawsuit stated.

The “use of excessive force” against Ford was “sadistic and malicious and did not further any legitimate legal purpose,” the complaint said, describing the shooting as “despicable conduct.”

Ford’s family members said at a news conference announcing the lawsuit Wednesday that the the mentally disabled young man may not have understood police orders during the fatal incident. They previously stated he was complying with officers and was lying on the ground when he was shot in the back.

Additionally, they contend that the defendants knew that Ford was mentally challenged.

“Ford … was unarmed, posed no threat to anyone, including defendants, was cooperative with the officers, and had committed no crime,” the complaint stated.