ENTERED

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4,

DEC 3 1 2013
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Plaintiff, 11 12 13 14 15 16 1. 17 R a n d y M o r g a n , a citizen and resident o f the State o f O r e g o n and the U n i t e d States, isthe d u l y 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 appointed Personal Representative o f the Estate o f B r a d M o r g a n and isthe father o f decedent B r a d Morgan. 2. Defendant City o f Portland is a municipal corporation, incorporated pursuant t o Oregon law, a n d a p u b l i c b o d y liable for the tortious conduct o f its agents and e m p l o y e e s acting w i t h i n the course and scope o f their employment. 3. A t all times material hereto, Portland Police Sergeant M a x John H o l b r o o k and Portland Police
V.

IN R6fSTERBYSS

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I N T H E C I R C U I T C O U R T O F T H E S T A T E O F O R E G O N M U L T N O M A H F O R T H E C O W N T Y O F

17965
Death/

Estate o f B R A D M O R G A N , b yand t h r o u g h its Personal Representative, R A N D Y M O R G A N ,

CaseNo.131 2 1 7 9 6 5
C O M P L A I N T (Wrongful Negligence)

NOT SUBJECTTO M A N D A T O R Y ARBITRATION

P O R T L A N D ,

C I T Y O F

JURY TRIAL D E M A N D E D Defendant.

F O R A C L A I M F O R R E L I E F , plaintiff alleges;

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C O M P L A I N T (Wrongful Death/ Negligence)

ELLIOTT & PARK, P C . Attorneys at Law Abernethy House 0324 S.W. Abernethy Street Portland, Oregon 97239-4356 (503) 227-1690 Fax; (503) 274-8384

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Officer D a v i d Scott were employees o f defendant C i t y o f Portland a n dacting w i t h i n the course a n d scope o f their employment. 4. O nJune 11, 2012, plaintiff provided a n do n June 29, 2012, B e c k y Chiao, Senior Claims Analyst for defendant City o f Portland, Office o f Management a n dFinance, R i s k Management

Services, aclaiowledged receipt o f t i m e l y actual a n d f o r m a l w r i t t e n notice o f tort c l a i m . 5. O n o rabout 3:18 a.m. o nthe m o r n i n g o f January 25, 2012, decedent B r a d M o r g a n called t h e C i t y o f Portland, B u r e a u o f Emergency C o m m u n i c a t i o n s ( B O E C ) 9-1-1 call center a n di n f o r m e d the call taker that h ew a s atop a p a r k i n g structure i nd o w n t o w n Portland a n dthat h ew a s contemplating

11 suicide. 12 13 14 ^5 6. D u r i n g thecourse o f a t w e n t y - t w o minute conversation between Brad M o r g a n and the B O E C call taker, B O E C dispatch communicated thef o l l o w i n g i n f o r m a t i o n t o responding police officers about Brad Morgan: 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 a) b) c) d) e) T h a t M o r g a n w a s speaking t o B O E C o n a cell phone; T h a t M o r g a n said h e robbed s o m e o n e at knifepoint earlier that evening; That h ew a so n top o f a nine story building a n disgoing to j u m p off; T h a t h e said "possibly" w h e n asked i f h e had a gun; a n d T h a t h e w a s m a k i n g 'suicide b y police' 7. A t approximately 3:40 a.m., Officer Scott located B r a d M o r g a n atthe S m a r t Park parking structure located o n S W M o r r i s o n a n d S W Fourth. Officer Scott observed M r . M o r g a n atop a n elevator/stairway shaft that w a s accessible o n l y b y w a l k i n g across a one foot-wide, t w e n t y foot l o n g statements.

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C O M P L A I N T ( W r o n g f u l Death/ Negligence)
V & b b J

E L L I O T T & P A R K , P.C. Attorneys at Law Abernethy House 0324 S.W. Abernethy Street Portland, Oregon 97239-4356 (503) 227-1690 Fax: (503) 274-8384

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concrete w a l l that extended d u e south f r o m a 4 2 " safety w a l l t e r m i n a t i n g the top ( n i n t h ) floor o f the p a r k i n g structure t o t h en o r t h side o f the e l e v a t o r / s t a i r w a y shaft. T o t h e w e s t o f that concrete w a l l w a s a n i n e s t o r y d r o p t o S W F o u r t h A v e n u e . T o t h e east, a t w e n t y f o u r f o o t d r o p t o t h e s e v e n t h p a r k i n g level o f the p a r k i n g structure. 8. After locating B r a d M o r g a n Officer Scott remained i na position o f cover until h ewas joined b y Sgt. H o l b r o o k a n d several other C i t y o f P o r t l a n d police officers. Sgt. H o l b r o o k w a s the r a n k i n g floor

g 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 officer a n d officer i nc o m m a n d o f the scene. Sgt. H o l b r o o k directed Officer Scott t o initiate verbal

c o m m u n i c a t i o n w i t h B r a d h y l e a v i n g h i s p o s i t i o n o f c o v e r a n d m o v i n g a c r o s s t h e o p e n t o p floor o f the p a r k i n g structure t o w a r d s t h e safety w a l l . Sgt. H o l b r o o k accompanied Officer Scott t o a p o s i t i o n s o m e w h a t near the southwest c o m e r o f the safety w a l l w h e r e Officer Scott a n d Sgt. H o l b r o o k engaged B r a d M o r g a n i nconversation and both officers remained standing, thereby exposing their u p p e r torsos t o d a n g e r i n t h e e v e n t that B r a d M o r g a n w a s , i nfact, a r m e d w i t h a h a n d g u n . 9. O v e r t h ecourse o f the next fifteen t o t w e n t y minutes B r a d M o r g a n made statements a n d

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demonstrated physical behaviors t o Officer Scott a n d Sgt. H o l b r o o k w h i c h w o u l d have alerted a reasonably trained officer t o the probability that, i fthey did not take cover. B r a d M o r g a n m a y use their v u l n e r a b i l i t y t o c o m m i t suicide b ycop. Nevertheless, throughout said period o f time, Officer Scott a n d Sgt. H o l b r o o k failed t o take a n duse appropriate cover for themselves. 10. A t approximately 4:01 a.m.. B r a d M o r g a n made a sudden m o t i o n pulling his right hand out f r o m underneath his jacket at thewaistband level a n dexposing a realistic appearing toy gun. A s h e

24 did so, Sgt. H o l b r o o k a n dOfficer Scott d r e w their handguns. 25 /// 26 S g t . H o l b r o o k fired f o u r t i m e s a n d

3 Pj^ge
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C O M P L A I N T (Wrongfiil Death/ Negligence)

V

to

E L L I O T T & P A R K , P.C. Attorneys at Law Abernethy House 0324 S.W. Abernethy Street Portland, Oregon 97239-435G (503) 227-1690 Fax: (503) 274-8384

O f f i c e r Scott fired once. B r a d M o r g a n w a s struck once b y a bullet w h i c h entered near the top. o f his forehead and passed through his brain and was killed. 11. Defendant C i t y o f Portland, acting t h r o u g h Sgt. H o l b r o o k a n dOfficer Scott, w a s negligent i n one o rm o r e o f the f o l l o w i n g particulars, each o f w h i c h was a substantial factor i ncausing t h e death of Brad Morgan: a) Failing t o use and maintain readily available cover while communicating w i t h B r a d Morgan; b) Failing t o use a cell phone t ocommunicate w i t h Brad M o r g a n from a position o f cover; c) Failing t o e m p l o y the"step-back" technique once B r a d M o r g a n ' s statements a n d behavior signaled his desire t o b e shot b y police; d) F a i l i n g t o call for i m m e d i a t e response o f the Hostage N e g o t i a t i o n T e a m for a period o f 15 m i n u t e s after l o c a t i n g a n d m a k i n g contact w i t h B r a d M o r g a n c o n t r a r y t o P P B policy 720.00 ( S E R T a n dH N T Use); a n d e) P r e c i p i t a t i n g t h e u s e o f deadly force t h r o u g h O f f i c e r Scott's a n d Sgt. H o l b r o o k ' s acts o f "placing themselves . . . i n jeopardy b yengaging i nactions inconsistent w i t h accepted training principles and tactics" contrary t o P P B policy 1010.10 ( D e a d l y Physical Force). P l a i n t i f f reserves t h er i g h t t o supplement its specifications o f negligence after c o n d u c t i n g and necessary discovery. 12. A s a result o f t h e defendant's negligence, p l a i n t i f f is entitled t o recover n o n - e c o n o m i c a n d e c o n o m i c d a m a g e s as compensation for the pecuniary loss a n dloss o f society, c o m p a n i o n s h i p a n d reasonable

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C O M P L A I N T (Wrongfiil Death/ Negligence)

^ o & /

E L L I O T T & P A R K . P.C. Attorneys at Law Abernethy House 0324 S.W. Abernethy Street Portland, Oregon 97239-4356 (503) 227-1690 Fax: (503) 274-8384

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services t oB r a d M o r g a n ' s child, K a n n o n M o r g a n , a n dt o B r a d M o r g a n ' s parents. R a n d y a n d S h e l l y M o r g a n , i n t h e a m o u n t o f $ 3 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 . 0 0 , o r s u c h o t h e r s u m a s t h e jury m a y d e t e r m i n e f a i r a n d reasonable. W H E R E F O R E , plaintiff prays for j u d g m e n t against defendant for n o n - e c o n o m i c a n d e c o n o m i c d a m a g e s i n a na m o u n t n o t m o r e t h a n $ 3 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 . 0 0 , o r s u c h o t h e r s u m as the j u r y m a y determine fair a n dreasonable a n dfor p l a i n t i f f s costs a n ddisbursements incurred herein.

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P L A I N T I F F DEMANDS A J U R Y TRIAL. D A T E D this 3 1 dayo f December, 2013.

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c, O S B # 8 0 3 3 5 8 E L L I O T T & P A R K , P.C. and Leonard R .Barman, O S B 960409 Attorneys for Plaintiff E-mail: dave(g),elliott-park.com E-mail: easyrabbifgtyalioo.com

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C O M P L A I N T (Wrongful Death/Negligence)
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E L L I O T T & P A R K , P.C. Attorneys at Law Abernethy House 0324 S.W. Abernethy Street Portland, Oregon 97239-435G (503) 227-1690 Fax: (503) 274-8384