A New Jersey woman held hostage at knifepoint in a shopping mall until a township police officer shot and killed her captor plans to sue the local township for $5 million, alleging she was psychologically injured as a result of the police officer’s actions.
The captor was being pursued by police after a shoplifting incident in the mall. He grabbed the woman, pulled her away from her husband, put a knife to her throat, and dragged her into a store.
The suit alleges the woman and her husband are suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome and are receiving treatment from a psychologist and a psychiatrist.
The suit alleges the police should have attempted to “resolve the situation” instead of shooting the criminal while he was holding the woman. The township police department failed to warn, violated state, county, and local policies regarding shoplifting, and were negligent in hiring, training, and supervising personnel, the suit alleges.
Mayor John McCormac affirmed the officer’s actions. “No lawsuit will change the fact our officer is a hero for saving her life,” he said.
Source: Tom Haydon, “Woman held at knifepoint in Woodbridge Center Mall plans to sue township for $5M,” The Star-Ledger, June 22, 2012 h/t overlawyered.com
Maureen Martin, a former legal fellow at The Heartland Institute, passed away on February 5, 2013.
