The Estate of Deaunte Bell-McGrew Files Federal Lawsuit Against Columbus Division of Police Alleging Wrongful Death and Civil Rights Violations
OCTOBER 27, 2017 – COLUMBUS, OHIO: The Estate of Deaunte Bell-McGrew has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Columbus and the Columbus Division of Police. The civil rights and wrongful death case challenges the fatal shooting of Deaunte Bell-McGrew by Columbus Division of Police Officers Matthew Baase and John Narewski. Deaunte was shot and killed on October 29, 2015 after being approached by Officers Baase and Narewski while lawfully sitting in a parked vehicle in the Amberly Square Apartment Complex. The lawsuit was filed on October 26, 2017 in the Southern District of the United States Federal District Court by attorneys Christopher M. Cooper, Sean L. Walton, Jr. and Chanda L. Brown.
On the night of October 29, 2015, Deaunte was shot six times by Officers Baase and Narewski, and subsequently died as a result of the gunshot wounds suffered. Witnesses have stated that his body lay without receiving any medical attention for an unreasonable period of time. While paramedics were allegedly dispatched at 9:19pm, paramedics did not report making it to his body until 10:24pm. Officers Baase and Narewski, who were inadequately trained, retained and supervised by the City of Columbus, Ohio and Columbus Division of Police, had been involved in a combined 42 internal affairs investigations at the time of their encounter with Deaunte. Despite the large number of internal investigations, Officers Baase and Narewski have rarely if ever been disciplined for their behaviors, often failing to have allegations against them sustained or receiving a reprieve from their chain of command.
Officers Baase and Narewski confronted Deaunte in a fashion that unnecessarily created a dangerous situation, failing to follow well-established constitutional policing practices including conducting an illegal seizure and using deadly force inappropriately, excessively and unreasonably, amongst numerous other violations of policy and law. The Columbus Division of Police’s chain of command endorsed the dangerous and unconstitutional policing tactics that are connected to this incident and that placed Deaunte and continue to place the public at unnecessary risk of death and/or injury from not only Officers Baase and Narewski, but from others in the department who have a similar proclivity to use force unreasonably and inappropriately.
The failure to properly train, supervise and discipline Officers Baase and Narewski is an authorization of their behavior and reflective of a pattern and practice of behavior within the Columbus Division of Police. The City of Columbus and Columbus Division of Police failed to properly investigate the circumstances surrounding Deaunte’s death, demonstrating a deliberate indifference to Deaunte’s right to be free from constitutional violations such as those committed by Officers Baase and Narewski, and demonstrating a pattern and practice of failing to investigate and discipline officers for the excessive use of force against citizens.
By failing to adopt policies, provide training, and/or effectively supervise implementation of those policies or training to avoid the use of an objectively unreasonable amount of force in light of the facts and under the circumstances, the City of Columbus, Ohio violated Deaunte’s rights under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments and subsequently caused his death. The Estate brings this federal civil rights action to ensure constitutional policing practices are respected, to secure fair compensation in order to hold the City of Columbus and its liable employees accountable for their actions and to help end the civil rights violations carried out by Columbus Division of Police Officers against members of the community.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Estate of Deaunte Bell by attorneys with Cooper & Pennington, L.P.A. and Walton + Brown, LLP. A copy of the complaint can be found here.
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CONTACT
Walton + Brown, LLP.
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Columbus, OH 43215
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