Spokane7
48°
July 26, 2010 in City
Lawsuit filed in Monroe Street Bridge suicide
Attorneys on Monday filed a $4.7 million federal civil suit against the Spokane Police Department and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office for their failed attempt to keep a mentally-ill man from jumping off the Monroe Street Bridge while his father watched.
Breean Beggs, formerly of the Center for Justice, filed the suit in federal court, which was one day short of the three-year anniversary of Joshua Levy’s fatal jump. The 28-year-old college student with paranoid schizophrenia was engaged in a standoff with police on July 26, 2007, that lasted into the next day.
Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick promised Levy’s family that officers wouldn’t use force, but that plan changed when an officer fired a Taser at Levy. When the probes missed, two officers rushed at him and he jumped, Beggs wrote in court records.
The suit also alleges that police and sheriff’s officials, who were spelling the city officers, did not seek out advice from mental health officials before attempting to end the standoff.
“They decide to rush him,” Beggs said. “It’s almost guaranteed that he is going to jump.”
Levy’s father was there but was not told of the decision to try to secure Levy by force, Beggs said. “Then he gets to watch his son jump off the bridge.”
Closing Geiger: Wise or worrisome? 
mikemcdonnell on July 26 at 8:12 p.m.
Blame the police for the actions of a psychotic?
That’s crazy.
PhiltheBibliophil on July 26 at 8:38 p.m.
Another case of the Spokane Gestapo!
ChefGus/ John Olsen on July 26 at 8:40 p.m.
This case was clearly mis handled by untrained and un sympathetic police. I made the comment at the time publicly that Mr Levy who was 24 hours at least without sleep… without his medicine for several days, and without food for 24 hours could have been “talked down” by myself, or any competent trained crisis clinic volunteer…. All the man needed was some comfort and support, and the offer of a cheeseburger…. to send uniformed officers armed with tasers out to “meet him” that had a potential to misfire, and or kill him was not a wise choice by the command officers and the Chief…. The chief was no where to be seen i’m told….. Homicide is the charge, for the inept attempt to help a mentally ill man… ( does this sound familiar)?? The city will lose a bundle on this one… and the command staff is responsible for effecting the order to fire the taser after Mr Levy climbed down off his perch…. los stupidos…. Dr john olsen ( five years on the King County Crisis Liine)….
eagleproducer on July 26 at 8:41 p.m.
mike: Blame a psychotic for the actions of the police?
Now THAT’S crazy!
lewis8457 on July 26 at 9:01 p.m.
All this young man needed was a hug and a warm hamburger instead he got the usual bone headed SPD response. Taser shot with running tackle.
They wouldn’t even let his father talk to him. Sad state of affairs.
Dazzeetrader11 on July 26 at 9:06 p.m.
“They decide to rush him,” Beggs said. “It’s almost guaranteed that he is going to jump.” <this from=”” the=”” md=”” psychiatrist.=”” would=”” have=”” been=”” nice=”” if=”” the=”” plan=”” had=”” worked.=”” these=”” psychotics=”” are=”” unpredictable.=”” it’s=”” the=”” nature=”” of=”” the=”” disease.=”” not=”” sure=”” it’s=”” the=”” police=”” dept’s=”” fault.=”” sometimes=”” nobody’s=”” at=”” fault.=”” if=”” the=”” pt=”” is=”” psychotic=”” enough,=”” nothing=”” works.=”” clinically=”” a=”” bad=”” outcome=”” for=”” sure.=”” i’d=”” be=”” more=”” interested=”” to=”” see=”” the=”” police=”” records=”” to=”” see=”” the=”” reports….and=”” if=”” everyone=”” has=”” corroborated=”” the=”” descriptions.=”” police=”” sometimes=”” are=”” equipped=”” to=”” win=”” these=”” episodes…sometimes=”” not.=”” it=”” depends=”” on=”” the=”” outcome.=”” heroes=”” or=”” “goats”.=”” depends=”” on=”” who=”” you=”” ask.=”” it’s=”” never=”” a=”” good=”” sign=”” to=”” find=”” an=”” impaired=”” person=”” who’s=”” full=”” of=”” paranoia=”” about=”” to=”” jump=”” from=”” a=”” bridge.=”” maybe=”” blame=”” the=”” disease?…not=”” the=”” police.=”” i’m=”” certain=”” nobody=”” coaxed=”” him=”” to=”” jump.=”” if=”” he=”” was=”” severe=”” enough=”” it=”” might=”” be=”” that=”” nothing=”” could=”” have=”” saved=”“ him.=”“>
JayNW on July 26 at 9:15 p.m.
if you want to kill yourself, go ahead- but don’t blame the cops. Just another sleezy family trying to extort money from an already broke city.
How about the family take responsibility for not loving their son enough, not getting him the help he needs. Its just as ridiculous to blame his parents as it is to blame the cops.
Besides, if its not about money and about accountability, then why sue for nearly 5 million dollars? All they are doing is taking away from the rest of us citizens. That money won’t come from the PD, that money comes from the city general fund, b/c I believe the city is self insured. Either way, I think the family should be tested for mental illness on this one.
uncleralph on July 26 at 9:32 p.m.
All the police need is a hug and a little support once in a while too. Armchair quarterbacks are a dime a dozen. What they did could have worked…no. Nobody knows if their idea would have worked any better. Paranoid schizophrenics are unpredictable for even an expert. He could have thought the hamburger was poisoned. He could have thought a hug was an attempt to throw him over. I support the police and the tough job they have. Paranoid schizophrenia is a disease were a person who doesn’t deal with it daily, like the police, have no idea what the patient’s outlandish ideas might be. Just remember you are in the peanut gallery when you make most your comments against the police. They have a thankless job.
Scoutster on July 26 at 9:34 p.m.
This was bungled. The outcome may, finally, have been a successful suicide. But to taz the man and then jump him, it’s like these guys never took Mental Illness 101 in the police academy.
They shouldn’t be sued. The SPD should man up, say we blew it, and do what they can to make it right.
But lawyers and risk managers don’t allow public officials to accept responsibility anymore.
spokanecommunistparty on July 26 at 9:36 p.m.
There should be one of those chain link fence things on that bridge to keep people from jumping or falling. People fall off that thing all the time, especially in the old days.
Dazzeetrader11 on July 26 at 9:59 p.m.
Maybe there should be a chain link fence put up around the communists too;) GOTCHA!!
spokanecommunistparty on July 26 at 10:07 p.m.
lol =)
liarsinnews on July 26 at 11:24 p.m.
Its so sad. I remember at the time reading the SR and as I remember the SPD Chief made a statement that may have been questionable.
PlanB on July 27 at 1:28 a.m.
I have a hard time blaming the SPD for not being able to save someone from committing suicide. However I also have a hard time believing that anyone could believe tasering someone in this situation would somehow work out for the best. Maybe they should have harpooned him, then they could have hauled the body up before he hit bedrock and they could proclaim ‘success’.
I sincerely doubt if many of the current SPD has taken Mental Illness 101, Government 101, US History 101, or anything 101.
mikeln on July 27 at 6:03 a.m.
This country stopped treating mental illness during the Reagan years. More money to be made by throwing sick people in jail then treating the illness. Just another failed policy done to favor the wealthy.
SpokaneLiberal on July 27 at 6:29 a.m.
Generally I think that suicides don’t get the option of suing because of their suicide. I still don’t think I would vote for the plaintiff, but the continued horrid decisions and mismanagement of the situation by SPD seems pretty hard to ignore. If he really was going to jump on his own he probably would have done it in the first 20 minutes, not over a day in. I agree with everyone who says that food and maybe a chat with dad would have been more appropriate than a tackle and tasers. You could have someone walk almost right up to him with the food and try insisting they come and get it and when you are there tackle him, but the way they did it borders on gross incompetence….
IHike4Fun on July 27 at 7:16 a.m.
This doesn’t have to go to trial. We can try the case right here! ;^)
Fellow Kangaroos Unite!
gyrusx on July 27 at 7:31 a.m.
As much as I hate SPD, I think giving someone 20 hours is long enough. In this litigant culture, the aim is to find a scapegoat, although parents might just be looking for a closure. Asking 5 million will not show how much they loved him but rather how much they are using him. This indeed is going to come out of the county/city’s meagre budget which would mean lesser services for the mentally ill among else.
crhys on July 27 at 8:45 a.m.
If the police department would have just left him alone, he would have just jumped sooner. Shame on you sue happy people. It’s not going to bring your son back! Maybe if he felt like he had a support system in the first place, he would have never thought about jumping to begin with.
lewis8457 on July 27 at 9:16 a.m.
JayNW, Actually if you bother to read up on the case. DSHS dropped the ball. He moved here from Seattle and DSHS some how lost him in the paper work so he did not get the help his loving family got him. And the medication he needed.
Get your information straight before you make bone head statement like “How about the family take responsibility for not loving their son enough, not getting him the help he needs”
His father was on the bridge but the cops wouldn’t let him talk to his son.
I have a disabled son and sometimes love isn’t enough.
your comment shows the amount of compassion we have in Spokane……..nil to none.
MrNatural on July 27 at 10:09 a.m.
I agree with ChefGus on this one. I saw the incident unfold personally and it appeared the SPD had lost its patience with the situation. I realize this was very tragic for all but they bs’d Levy off the ledge while he was in a complete stupor and instead of using the progress they made to settle him down they made a p-poor attempt to taser and rush him. No one knows if he would have jumped anyway but from what I saw SPD was ill advised and bungled the situation seemingly out of frustration and hastened Mr. Levy’s demise.