Gabby Petito’s parents sue cops for ‘failures’ they claim led to her death
Global News
Lawyers for Gabby Petito's parents claim Moab police misapplied Utah’s laws related to domestic abuse, which require action be taken in response to domestic violence incidents.
The parents of Gabby Petito have filed a US$50-million wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab City Police Department.
They claim the officers who questioned Petito only weeks before she was killed by her fiancé Brian Laundrie were “fundamentally biased” and negligent in investigating claims of domestic violence.
The lawsuit was filed on Thursday.
In the filing, Petito’s father Joseph Petito and her mother, Nichole Schmidt, claim the legal action is to honour “Gabby’s legacy by demanding accountability and working toward systemic changes to protect victims of domestic abuse and violence and prevent such tragedies in the future.”
The lawsuit alleges Moab police officer Eric Pratt did not follow Utah state law during an investigation into a domestic disturbance between Petito and Laundrie last summer. A witness told police she had seen Laundrie, 23, hit Petito, 22.
The claim by the Petito parents is based on a domestic violence allegation against Pratt, the investigating officer. An unnamed woman, identified only as “Witness 1” in the lawsuit, claims Pratt threatened to kill her after ending their relationship. At the time, Pratt was police chief of the rural Utah town of Salina.
The Petito family lawyers claim the allegation against Pratt made him more inclined to sympathize with Laundrie.
Moab police maintain that Petito’s death was not the fault of local authorities.
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