Local

‘It’s a sad situation;’ Lawyer demanding officers for domestic call be terminated

DAYTON — Two Dayton Police officers have been suspended after the way they handled a domestic violence call last June.

News Center 7′s Mike Campbell spoke with the lawyer representing the family at the center of the call and said the discipline is “a slap in the face to the family.”

>>PREVIOUS STORY: Dayton officers suspended after woman, daughter found dead hours after domestic violence call

Campbell spoke with Michael Wright, the lawyer that has filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Asia Nelson’s family at Montgomery County Common Pleas Court. He tells Campbell the discipline announced by the Dayton Police Department actually helps his case.

“The punishment doesn’t fit,” said Wright. “Two lives were lost, in fact three lives were lost.”

Campbell reports Wright made it clear he believes the fact Dayton Police found the officers violated departmental policy helps his wrongful death lawsuit but he does not think the discipline announced by the department makes sense.

“That’s dumb,” he said. “This kind of discipline, it just doesn’t make sense.”

>>RELATED: Dayton police evaluating body cam video in killing of mother, daughter in their Burleigh Avenue home

Officers Kathryn Santos and Terrel Moore responded to the home on Burleigh Avenue on June 23. They spoke with Asia Nelson, who told them her boyfriend had threatened her several times with violence a few times while holding a gun.

Officers also spoke with that boyfriend but in the end, did not remove anyone from the home. They also did not take the gun with them.

Campbell reports the professional standards bureau review and reported released Friday found the officers violated department policy in two ways.

They did not complete a crime report for domestic violence and did not remove a deadly weapon as contraband.

“We are very upset, this is not appropriate,” said Wright. “We are demanding termination, not the officers be suspended.”

>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Family of mother, child killed in Dayton home file wrongful death lawsuit

Wright tells Campbell the family is heartbroken. This include Asia’s mother, Keeley Nelson, who lost a daughter and a granddaughter.

She had to come here from New Jersey to recover Asia’s possessions and keepsakes. They say they are willing to come back to fight for the justice they want to see.

“It’s not a win-win situation,” he said. “It’s a sad situation.”

>>ORIGINAL STORY: Woman, child found dead inside Dayton home; Police investigating as double homicide

Campbell reports there is no date set right now for the wrongful death lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of the Nelson family.

Dayton Police told News Center 7 they could not comment about the report because of the pending litigation.

The two officers are suspended for 160 hours each and required to undergo intensive additional domestic violence training. The two have begun serving their suspensions, according to a Dayton Police Department spokesperson.



0
Comments on this article