Former student files $5 million lawsuit stemming from Aug. shooting
Lance Lauda
Issue date: 2/26/09 Section: News
Zachary Leamon, a former student who was shot in an on-campus officer's dorm. room, is suing the officer for $5 million and a hearing in front of a jury, according to a lawsuit filed in the Circuit Court of Hamilton County.
According to the lawsuit, on Aug. 29, Leamon visited the on- campus officer's dormitory where he consumed alcohol and ultimately received a gunshot to the left side of his head.
The lawsuit alleges that because of the officer's supply of alcohol and a personal firearm, Leamon suffered life threatening, severe injuries, excruciating pain, and both temporary and permanent physical disabilities.
According to the lawsuit, the officer's history of negligence in regard to the university's zero tolerance policy for alcohol and personal firearms displayed a clear violation of the university policy on the officer's part. In the lawsuit, Leamon requests:
• A processing of the issue
• The Hamilton County court system to impanel a jury
• Granting of a judgment against Kilgore for compensatory damages not exceeding $5 million
• Obtainment of general relief
Initial reports labeled the shooting as self-inflicted, but the plaintiff's step-grandfather, who is a private investigator, said the event was not a suicide.
UTC Police Chief Robert Ratchford has said, the university is unable to comment on the specifics of the case while the investigation remains on going.
The City of Chattanooga awaits the results of evidence sent to a Nashville crime lab and expects answers by the end of the semester.
In a past interview with The Echo, Ratchford said numerous crime labs in the state of Tennessee have faltered with the economy, leading Tennessee cities to rely on Nashville's crime lab for answers to their investigations. Therefore, a conclusion to the case is taking time.
In addition to the Chattanooga Police Department's investigation, university officials initiated two internal affairs investigations into the incident: one regarding alcohol and firearm policy for on-campus officers and the other in response to the Leamon family's allegations of police misconduct.
Following the shooting, the officer was placed on 2 weeks paid decompression leave before returning to duty.
According to the lawsuit, on Aug. 29, Leamon visited the on- campus officer's dormitory where he consumed alcohol and ultimately received a gunshot to the left side of his head.
The lawsuit alleges that because of the officer's supply of alcohol and a personal firearm, Leamon suffered life threatening, severe injuries, excruciating pain, and both temporary and permanent physical disabilities.
According to the lawsuit, the officer's history of negligence in regard to the university's zero tolerance policy for alcohol and personal firearms displayed a clear violation of the university policy on the officer's part. In the lawsuit, Leamon requests:
• A processing of the issue
• The Hamilton County court system to impanel a jury
• Granting of a judgment against Kilgore for compensatory damages not exceeding $5 million
• Obtainment of general relief
Initial reports labeled the shooting as self-inflicted, but the plaintiff's step-grandfather, who is a private investigator, said the event was not a suicide.
UTC Police Chief Robert Ratchford has said, the university is unable to comment on the specifics of the case while the investigation remains on going.
The City of Chattanooga awaits the results of evidence sent to a Nashville crime lab and expects answers by the end of the semester.
In a past interview with The Echo, Ratchford said numerous crime labs in the state of Tennessee have faltered with the economy, leading Tennessee cities to rely on Nashville's crime lab for answers to their investigations. Therefore, a conclusion to the case is taking time.
In addition to the Chattanooga Police Department's investigation, university officials initiated two internal affairs investigations into the incident: one regarding alcohol and firearm policy for on-campus officers and the other in response to the Leamon family's allegations of police misconduct.
Following the shooting, the officer was placed on 2 weeks paid decompression leave before returning to duty.
