Settlement Reached in Controversial Case of Deputy-Involved Shooting During High-Speed Pursuit

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — A federal lawsuit resulting from a 2022 police shooting involving a Simpson County sheriff’s deputy has reached a resolution. The case involved Deputy Stephen Burke, who shot Lloyd Fields during a police pursuit that ended in a crash in Tennessee. Fields filed legal action against both Burke and Sheriff Jere Hopson in U.S. District Court. His lawsuit alleged excessive force after Burke shot him in the head while he was a passenger in a vehicle that had collided with a grain silo. The incident occurred during a police chase on February … Read more

Albany County Settles Lawsuit for $1.2 Million in 2018 Deputy-Involved Shooting

LARAMIE, Wyoming — Albany County recently reached a settlement of $1.2 million in a lawsuit related to the fatal shooting of Robbie Ramirez in 2018. Ramirez, a 39-year-old man with a history of mental illness, was unarmed when he was shot by former Albany County Sheriff’s deputy Derek Colling. The settlement agreement was made public following a ruling by the Wyoming Supreme Court, which stated that settlement agreements involving government agencies are considered public records. The lawsuit, filed in 2020 by Ramirez’s mother, Debra Hinkel, named Colling, then-Sheriff Dave O’Malley, and Albany County as defendants. … Read more