Brandon’s Newsletter 6/12

Wrongful Death Lawsuit

This week a Judge has ordered the city of Albuquerque to pay 6 Million dollars to the family of Christopher Torres because of a wrongful death lawsuit.  The Albuquerque Police department fatally shot the mentally ill Torres in April 2011, after they went to arrest him on a road rage incident.  The case largely weighed on neighbors, (you can surmise friends of the family), who disputed the cops story that Torres reached for the officers gun.  It is a sad situation that this man was killed but 6 Million dollars should have taxpayers outraged.  If this mentally ill man was to make 40,000 dollars for the next 30 years it would be 1.2 Million dollars that would be a much fairer estimate of what he should have been paid.  No amount of money can replace a loved family member but 6 million coming from taxpayers is ridiculous, these money awards for APD shootings should be capped.  Just because a family member dies should not mean family members should win a lottery.