Six families whose loved ones were killed in an off-duty officer’s shooting rampage last October have had their claims denied by the Crandon (Wisconsin) City Council. Claims are the first step in filing a wrongful death suit. 20-year-old Tyler Peterson gunned down his ex-girlfriend and five other people in an apartment, and left one young man injured. Peterson then either killed himself, or was killed by a police sniper hours later near some woods north of Crandon.
The claim alleges that the city police department and the Forest County Sheriff’s Department were negligent in hiring someone with a violent past. Peterson was a sheriff’s deputy and part-time police officer in Crandon. The claim was brought by the family of Jordanne Murray, Peterson’s ex-girlfriend, who were seeking more than five million dollars. Named in the claim as defendants are Crandon Police Chief John Dennee and Forest County Sheriff Keith Van Cleve.
The City Council had 12 notices of claims before them, and turned down each one unanimously in a closed session. Other claims were filed in Forest County, but the County has taken no action on them. Corporation Counsel Paul Payant claims that the police department had no evidence or knowledge that Peterson was capable of this level of violence. However, Jordanne Murray’s family and friends contend Peterson was controlling and abusive, which lead to the breakup between the two.
If you have lost a loved one due to violence, and you believe their supervisor should have known better than to hire them where they had access to guns, please contact an experienced personal injury lawyer in your area.
