Man Files Claim Against City On Girl’s Behalf Father Seeks $5 Million, Says City Could’ve Prevented Ex-Wife’s Death

A Spokane man is seeking more than $5 million from the city on behalf of his daughter, whose mother was killed by an estranged boyfriend last September.

David R. Brown of Spokane filed a claim for damages Thursday against the city, claiming that police could have prevented his ex-wife Sheila Brown’s death.

William Parker stabbed and shot Brown to death on Sept. 12 at her apartment on Upriver Drive. He then killed himself.

Sheila Brown’s daughter, Nicole Brown, now 8, escaped the apartment at 2121 E. Upriver Dr. as Parker attacked her mother. The girl now lives with her father, David.

The claim alleges that police had probable cause to arrest Parker for violating a civil anti-harassment order and were negligent in not immediately doing so.

Rocco Treppiedi, an assistant city attorney, said he believes police did all that they could. He said the order doesn’t require 24-hour police presence.

An officer took a report that Parker was driving through the apartment parking lot in the days before the shootings. The officer looked for Parker in the area and went to his Valley home, but couldn’t find him, Treppiedi said.

The officer also prepared an affidavit of probable cause to arrest Parker. Had police or deputies found him, they could have made an arrest, Treppiedi said.

Treppiedi said he will continue to evaluate the claim. The city has 60 days to investigate claims. Such a claim is a mandatory first step toward filing a civil lawsuit against the city.

If the claim is rejected, David Brown’s attorney, Dennis Cronin, said his client probably will sue.

Sheila Brown and William Parker had a rocky nine-month relationship in 1993. Both went to jail in September 1993 on domestic violence charges that were later dismissed.

When they broke up, they both obtained protection orders against each other, which they later dropped.

, DataTimes