Sunday, February 26, 2012

THREE LAWSUITS FILED AGAINST THE CITY OF COMMERCE CITY - FORMER MAYOR NATALE AND FORMER CITY MANAGER FLANNERY ALSO SUED

There are three outstanding lawsuits that have been filed against the city of Commerce City, Colorado, two have trial dates set and one of the lawsuits also includes former Mayor Paul Natale, former City Manager Gerald Flannery, current Assistant City Manager Tom Acre, and former Communications Director Heather Spencer.

Former Economic Director, Stephanie Salazar, sued the city as well as the above four city employees and officials in June of 2010. The trial is set to begin on June 18, 2012. Salazar’s lawsuit alleges discrimination and retaliation regarding remarks about Navajo Indians made by Flannery, remarks made against her by Natale in public meetings, and retaliation against her ending in her termination.

Jennifer Perinn has filed a lawsuit against five police officers for assault and battery and intentional infliction of severe emotional distress. Jennifer Perinn was allegedly injured during an officer involved shooting in which the perpetrator was killed by police and she was a passenger in the perpetrator’s vehicle. A trial date has been set for July of 2012.

The Agazio family is suing the city and two police officers in the shooting incident that killed their dog. They are suing due to excessive force, in adequate training, deprivation of property rights, intentional infliction of severe emotional distress, negligent infliction of severe emotional distress, gross negligence, battery, conversion, assault, and trespass. No trial date has been set as of the publication of this story.

Three different outside law firms have been hired by the city for each of the three different cases. Gateway News has made a request for the amount of tax dollars that are being used to defend the city and their employees in these lawsuits.

The family of Gabriel Trujillo, the four year old boy who was murdered in Commerce City last week, is consulting with an attorney to review what their rights are in his death. His grandmother had been charged with first degree murder and child abuse resulting in death in that case in Adams County.

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