DAYTON — A judge has paused a wrongful death lawsuit against the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (RTA).
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A Montgomery County judge has paused it until the criminal case against Julius Williamson Jr. is over, according to court records.
The family of 18-year-old Alfred Hale III filed a lawsuit against RTA last October. The wrongful death lawsuit alleges the Greater Dayton RTA was negligent, according to a previous News Center 7 story.
Michael Wright, the attorney for Hale’s family, said last October that the Greater Dayton RTA knew about issues related to crime and violence at its hub in downtown Dayton, but didn’t do enough to stop it.
He added that Hale ended up dead because of it.
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An investigation revealed that 23-year-old Julius Williamson, Jr., and Hale had exchanged words outside of the In & Out Carry-Out. Williamson then pulled out a gun and shot Hale, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.
Williamson allegedly ran from the scene and disposed of the gun at the Levitt Pavilion. Investigators later recovered it, and it was later determined to have been stolen from someone in Harrison Township.
The 23-year-old man is facing several charges, including murder, in connection with the shooting.
A scheduling conference is set for July.
The shooting has sparked numerous safety concerns about students using the RTA Hub and RTA buses for transportation to school.
It’s led to changes in state law and a high-profile lawsuit involving the Dayton Public School District and the state of Ohio.
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