Men acquitted in E2 nightclub stampede sue city for $2 million

A father and son acquitted of criminal charges in a 2003 stampede at a Chicago nightclub that killed 21 people have filed a lawsuit against the city and the Cook County state's attorney.

Club manager Calvin Hollins Junior and his son, assistant manager Calvin Hollins the Third, say they were the "fall guys" for what they call the city's poor emergency response. They seek more than $2 million in damages.

City Law Department spokeswoman Jennifer Hoyle says the lawsuit filed Thursday is without merit.

A Cook County judge last March acquitted the men of 63 counts of manslaughter.

Authorities have said the stampede started after someone used pepper spray to break up a dance-floor fight. Patrons then fled for the doors, crushing each other on a narrow staircase.