Deputy Killers familys sues and wants an apology

[Geology Rocks]

Family of Deputy Brownlee's killer demanding an apology...RIDICULOUS..

The attorney for the family of a man who shot and killed a Weld County Sheriff's deputy demanded an apology from Sheriff John Cooke for the killing of the gunman and said the family's threat of a lawsuit is "not about the money."

Asked Thursday if he would write a letter of apology, Cooke simply stated: "No."

Denver attorney Michael Evans sent a notice early this week to Cooke and to the Greeley and Evans police departments warning that Rueben Reyes' family could file a civil lawsuit for $250,000 plus punitive damages unless they could reach a settlement.

Cooke responded that the case was a ploy for the attorney and the Reyes family to make some money.

On Nov. 23, at the end of a long police chase, police and Reyes scuffled where the cars had stopped in Evans. Reyes was able to get Deputy Sam Brownlee's service weapon and shot him three times, killing the sheriff's deputy. An Evans police officer immediately shot Reyes in the back three times, and he died later at North Colorado Medical Center.

In the notice this week, attorney Evans said the nature of the chase and the way it was handled, "aggravated the circumstances" leading to the death of Reyes. He also accused the officers at the scene of not offering help to Reyes in the form of CPR or first aid.

After Cooke said the notice was an attempt to make money, attorney Evans sent the e-mail letter to the sheriff, stating: "This case is not about the money. Its (sic) about the value of human life, or the complete disregard for it."

The attorney then told Cooke the Reyes family has agreed to release the sheriff's office from any civil lawsuit if the sheriff takes the following actions:

1. You will write a personal letter to the family apologizing for the loss of Mr. Reyes;

2. Promise to correct your agencies (sic) policies and procedures (which even your own investigative review panel agrees are faulty);

3. Discipline or terminate those individuals who are responsible choosing not to act to save Mr. Reyes' life at the scene.

Cooke said of the letter written to him: "It's very unethical to send me an e-mail like that. He knows I have an attorney, and they know they should deal with my attorney and not directly with me."

That first letter, the notice of claims, was originally sent to the Greeley City Attorney, Evans City Attorney and the Weld County Attorney.

Attorney Evans set a deadline of 5 p.m. Friday for Cooke to take action on the demands, and "If you don't accept, then I guess you would have to agree that its (sic) really not about the money after all."


yeah go pound some sand

joe

[hurley842002]

Damn, they were talking about this on Caplis and Silverman last week, and I meant to post up about it but forgot.

Like you said, these POS's need to go pound sand.

[JIMUSMC]

Rediculous indeed... You have to consider, though: the very family that PRODUCED the type of scum that would shoot a cop is, of course, the same that would think nothing of suing for money. They usually never blame the individual, but instead blame society or circumstance for their FAILURE at parenting and teaching simple freaking morals.

Stories like this really BURN me up. I wish we could do some street cleaning of people like this across the nation.

I have kids. And if my son was shot for shooting a cop I would have to say he got what he deserved... plain and simple.

[Byte Stryke]

I Concur.
The family needs to piss up a rope.

if it were me I would be holding the parents financially liable.
but that sort of logic doesn't exist in the real world.

[jerrymrc]

I am almost at a loss for words. Some things (and actions) in life truly escape me.

The sad thing is that the slain deputy's family get to have his death put back on the front burner.

[waxthis]

I am almost at a loss for words. Some things (and actions) in life truly escape me.

The sad thing is that the slain deputy's family get to have his death put back on the front burner.

+1...Could not agree more. Makes me sick.

[StagLefty]

I don't even know how to respond to shit like this anymore

[TFOGGER]

I Concur.
The family needs to piss up a rope.

if it were me I would be holding the parents financially liable.
but that sort of logic doesn't exist in the real world.

I agree. Counter sue his estate for all costs related to the chase, and punitive damages for wrongful death.

[weirjf]

Its always about the money

My dad was a cop/SWAT, after an 18 hour stand-off with a psychotic they managed to get the guy out of the basement alive and relatively unharmed but not before he managed to stab my dad.

We got notification of the law suit from the guy's parents before he was even out of the hospital. Luckily it was thrown out before having to go to trial. Can't sue the parents for not ensuring their adult son who was living with them was taking his meds, though.

Laws are skewed towards the criminals

[TriggerHappy]

Growing up both my parents were patrol with Anchorage Police. My dad ended up a LT. when he retired. He shot a guy at one point in his career. It was a Domestic disturbance, guy came at 3 of his officers with a knife, he shot twice center mass. He was put on leave with pay, psych eval, court case, justification, etc.. He said that was the low of his career, never drank so much scotch. For all good cops out there, its not a position anyone wants to be in. You are there to protect not kill. Guy ended up living, all court cases were thrown out.
I feel for both departments, both officers; loss of life and use of deadly force. Its a bad place to be and the family that was left behind, my prayers go out to you.
Having to deal with that aftermath is complete BS.

This is a good quote, one of my favorites. It was on my fathers retirement plaque:

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
-Theodore Roosevelt, Chief of Police 1910