A Utah man plans to file a wrongful death suit on behalf of his son who was shot and killed by a police officer. According to the father, Jerry Wood, his son, Brian Wood, was shot and killed by police after a 12-hour standoff.
According to Jerry, Brian was trying to get up after being injured by a concussion grenade when a police officer shot and killed him. Jerry added that Brian was not posing a threat at the time of the shooting.
"Why was such a lethal force used?" asked Jerry Wood. "And aren't the police supposed to protect us? And aren't they putting their officers in danger by forcing that kind of response from anyone."
Man Shot After a 12-Hour Police Standoff
According to reports the 12-hour standoff started with domestic violence at Brian’s home. Jerry, allegedly, headed over to Brian’s home at approximately 9:15 a.m. Sept. 22 after sensing something was wrong during a phone conversation with Brian’s son.
Jerry said he arrived at Brian’s home and parked his truck in the driveway, blocking Brian’s vehicle in. Brian got in his car, rolled up the windows and would not talk or reason with his father. When police arrived at the scene, Brian rolled down his window and fired a shot from a 9mm handgun into a utility trailer.
He then raised both hands in the air, each with a gun in hand and showed the police he was armed. The SWAT team arrived and the 12-hour standoff began.
Police Allegedly Lied During Standoff
According to Jerry, the police officers would not allow Brian’s family or friends to try and reason with Brian during the standoff. The police, did, however tell Brian he was going to be able to speak with his father on his cell phone, and then never let him do so. Jerry claims that the police repeatedly lied to Brian, making matters worse.
Once it got dark, the police officers used force in an attempt to make Brian surrender. They released concussion grenades and tear gas into Brian Wood's truck, however he did not surrender. Although they told his family they would not use additional force, they did fire additional concussion grenades which severely injured Brian. Moments later, shots were fired and police told the family he had been killed.
Jerry told police he was going to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the police officers. He said he feels the officers could have handled the standoff differently in which case his son would still be alive.
(Source: The Salt Lake Tribune)
Has someone you love been killed due to the wrongdoing of another? If so, you may be eligible to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the reliable parties. Contact us today to speak to an experienced personal injury attorney who will thoroughly evaluate your case and help fight to protect your legal rights.
Search for a Personal Injury lawyer in your state or province by using the forms to the right.
Let us help you locate a personal injury attorney. Enter the zip code in which you were injured below.
USA ZIP
For Canadian Law Firms