Sister of St. Paul man killed after fender bender files wrongful death suit

The sister of a man who was fatally shot by a motorist following a fender bender in St. Paul in May 2020 has filed a wrongful-death suit in the killing.

Valerie Lewis, sister of Douglas Lewis, filed the lawsuit this week in Ramsey County District Court against Anthony Trifiletti, 25, of Watertown. Trifiletti was found guilty of second-degree murder last spring in connection with Lewis' death and was sentenced to 12½ years.

Lewis' family previously said they believed Trifiletti, who is white, was unreasonably afraid of Lewis because he was African American.

Valerie Lewis is seeking upwards of $50,000. According to the lawsuit, Trifiletti "negligently and carelessly" fired his firearm at Douglas Lewis multiple times and intentionally caused harmful contact with Douglas Lewis.

"No traffic disputes or collisions should ever involve guns, yet Mr. Trifiletti fired multiple shots at Mr. Lewis, an unarmed African-American man, killing him," said Minneapolis attorney Brandon Vaughn, who is representing Valerie Lewis. "Nobody in a fender bender should ever have to fear for their life. This is a matter of justice for the family still grieving from this senseless killing."

The shooting happened late May 1, 2020, after the two men's cars collided in St. Paul while exiting onto Burns Avenue from Hwy. 61. Trifiletti initially fled after shooting Lewis but returned and surrendered to police when his father advised him to, according to court documents. He said he was acting in self-defense when he shot Lewis. Police did not find any weapons on Lewis.