The Rhinelander Daily News - Online news and information for the Rhinelander, Wisconsin region

The city of Crandon and Forest County have responded to a lawsuit filed by the families of five young people gunned down by off-duty police officer Tyler Peterson Oct. 7, 2007.

Attorneys for the two municipalities claim in court papers filed late last month that Peterson’s superiors at the Crandon Police Department and Forest County Sheriff’s Department had no knowledge of any violent tendencies Peterson may have had and could not have known that he would lose control and kill his estranged girlfriend and her friends.

“Any harm that may have come to plaintiffs was as a result of intentional and or criminal conduct on the part of Tyler Peterson which could not have been foreseen or predicted by these defendants,” wrote Charles Bohl, legal counsel for Forest County.

During the early morning hours of Oct. 7, 2007, Peterson, 20, showed up at the home of his estranged girlfriend, Jordanne Murray, apparently looking to reconcile. Murray was hosting a post-Homecoming party and had several friends over for the evening. The two argued and Murray asked Peterson to leave. He complied but came back with an assault rifle and started shooting, firing about 30 shots at the people at the party.

Aaron Smith, 20, Bradley Schultz, 20, Lindsey Stahl, 14, Lianna Thomas, 18, and Katrina McCorkle, 18, died with Murray, 18, in the rampage. Charlie Neitzel, 22, survived the attack by playing dead. Peterson died later that day in a wooded area in the town of Argonne.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice says he took his own life.

Two months ago the Schultz, Stahl, Thomas and McCorkle families joined Neitzel in filing a civil lawsuit claiming the city of Crandon and Forest County officials had reason to believe Peterson was a danger to the public but still allowed him access to dangerous weapons.

The families claim the defendants had a duty to investigate and assess allegations of domestic violence and police abuse against Peterson and to determine whether he was “fit to continue as a police officer” and “whether or not he would continue to have access to dangerous weapons.”

The families are asking for a jury trial and a monetary judgment to be determined at trial.

The Smith and Murray families have not filed suit as of yet.

In the recently filed court papers, Forest County Sheriff Keith Van Cleve and Crandon Police Chief John Dennee denied any knowledge of abusive behavior on Peterson’s part and therefore allege they had no reason to evaluate Peterson or restrict his access to weapons.

Attorneys for both municipalities also claim Peterson’s actions were “so highly extraordinarily, unforeseen and unpredictable” that it would be “unjust and contrary to public policy” to lay blame for it at the feet of Dennee, Van Cleve and their departments.

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MH wrote on Dec 8, 2008 4:16 PM:

" https://wilenet.org/html/career/wanemplstds.pdf

Pretty much only have to be 18, have high school diploma or GED, and a drivers license, and you can be an officer.

I too question hiring kids, and giving them guns, but we do it with the military. "

dj wrote on Dec 7, 2008 8:21 AM:

" Why is a 20 year old allowed access to police firearms? I thought in the state of Wisconsin you had to be 21 tobe a police officer and have legal access to a handgun. I realize the shooting were commited with an assault rifle, but I question the legality of a 20 year old police officer in the first place. "

Robert wrote on Dec 6, 2008 11:37 PM:

" By allowing a Rookie officer unsupervised access to tactical weapons is contrary to public saftey. The liability factor rest with Law Enforcement whom we put our trust in for our public saftey . "

mr x wrote on Dec 6, 2008 8:31 PM:

" I don't see what sueing a county is going to do. It will not bring them back. So money is going to make someone feel better over a lose, I know I wouldnt feel better. Whats wrong with people these days. Like the woman that sued McDonalds for the coffee being hot. All I see is greed thats what it boils down to. Thats whats wrong with our country. To much greed. "

john wrote on Dec 6, 2008 10:19 AM:

" I think that putting such a young person in such a powerful and dangerous position demands extra cautions. He should have had access to his weapons only when he was on duty thus limiting what he might do with them. Bottom line...they gave him the guns, they trained him, they turned him loose on the neighborhood, they are responsible. "

The comments above are from readers. In no way do they represent the views of the Rhinelander Daily News.