Sioux City Journal

Mother of Neb. teen killed in police shooting sues

Posted: Wednesday, September 10, 2008

OMAHA (AP) -- The mother of a 16-year-old boy shot and killed by police last year filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Crawford police chief, another officer and the city.

A Dawes County grand jury indicted Police Chief Rick Thompson last year for second-degree assault in the shooting death of Jesse Britton.

Authorities have said Thompson shot Britton on Oct. 3 in a vacant Crawford bar after Britton didn't obey orders to lower a gun. Britton and game warden Dan Kling went to the bar looking for the boy, who was a suspect in a string of burglaries.

Thompson has been on unpaid leave since the shooting and has maintained that he acted in self defense.

The lawsuit from Jesse's mother, Pat Britton, says the shooting was "a result of negligence," and that both officers showed "malice and callous disregard" for Jesse Britton's life.

The city, the lawsuit says, failed to train employees how to properly negotiate and keep a situation from escalating.

Kling also is named in Pat Britton's lawsuit, which was filed in Scotts Bluff District Court and seeks unspecified punitive damages and attorney's fees. Kling wasn't charged and has returned to work.

"You've got to let the facts, you've got to let the situation out so everybody knows about it," said attorney Robert Chaloupka of Scottsbluff, who is representing Pat Britton. "This way small towns and small town police forces can say, look, we've got to clean up our act."

Thompson's attorneys are asking that the criminal charges be dismissed.

Attorney Terry Waite of North Platte, who is representing Thompson in the civil case, said the shooting was "a tragedy for all concerned." He said Thompson knew Jesse Britton before the October incident, and has teenage children of his own.

Story Comments

pete wrote on Sep 10, 2008 11:51 AM:

" The cop should have shot him some more just for good measure. What does this say to people because in my mind it says hey get a gun and start holding up cops. Get a clue people this kid pointed a loaded gun at a cop and would not lower it. I can tell you if I was this cop i would have done the same thing. You point a gun at me while i have mine you best be ready to use it because i am. "

BlueBlood wrote on Sep 10, 2008 11:20 AM:

" My how times have changed. In my day they would have said; "he got what he deserved". "

what wrote on Sep 10, 2008 11:07 AM:

" would it be better if the cop got shot. the kid pointed a gun at a police officer. He should be shot. I guess the cop should of waited until he got shot first before he pulled the trigger. "

mother wrote on Sep 10, 2008 7:04 AM:

" Kids who have no respect for other peoples possessions while burgalarizing them and who carry guns really deserve no respect as far as I am concerned. Whose job was it in the first place to instill some moral values into this kid? Maybe then this unfortunate incident would never have occured in the first place. "

Back the Policeman wrote on Sep 10, 2008 6:46 AM:

" I wonder what lawyer talked her into this one. The boy was on a road to destruction. That is so clear. How can the mother, with clear conscience, tie up the courts this way. And who is going to pay for it? I'll back the policeman on this one. Wrong is wrong. And that boy was in the wrong. "