OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – A mom is hoping an Oklahoma Metropolis police officer can ultimately be held accountable for taking pictures and killing her son.
“Somebody needs to be accountable for my son’s loss of life,” mentioned Charlesetta Redd Murray. “Accountability is every part.”
Brian Simms Jr. was shot and killed by off-duty officer Paul Galyon exterior the Oklahoma Metropolis farmer’s market in July of 2013.
Simms was asleep in his automobile exterior a live performance. That is when Sgt. Galyon and his companion approached the automobile. Galyon claimed Simms had a gun and he thought his life was at risk. The sergeant fired a minimum of 9 pictures, killing him.
“And never in the future goes by that I do not take into consideration my son and the way I knew that he wanted me to be there, and I want I might’ve been there to assist him,” mentioned Murray.
The district lawyer cleared Gaylon of any wrongdoing. By doing that, it protected Gaylon from being sued in Civil Courtroom. The Oklahoma Metropolis Police Division’s inner investigation cleared the officer of any wrongdoing.
On Wednesday, Lead Counsel Jacob Diesselhorst, with Maples, Nix & Diesselhorst, together with the ACLU of Oklahoma, led by lawyer Tim Hootman, challenged the appliance of certified immunity within the tenth Circuit Courtroom of Appeals for the case of Redd v. Metropolis of Oklahoma Metropolis et al. The tenth Circuit Courtroom of Appeals heard oral arguments from either side.
“Our hope is that the district court docket ruling will likely be overturned, and that the Simms household will get to have their day in court docket,” mentioned Jacob Diesselhorst. “There are two sides to the story. One aspect of the story is deceased and may’t inform his story.”
Based mostly on the briefing and oral arguments Wednesday, the court docket of appeals will problem an opinion. It might take months to seek out out if the case will go to trial.
