Michael Wright will speak to the media at 3pm today, February 3, 2023, in response to the suspension of two Dayton police officers. Wright and Robert Gresham of Wright & Schulte represent the family and estate of Aisha Nelson and her six-year-old daughter Harper Guynn, who were killed in June 2022.
In December, Wright filed a lawsuit against the city, Dayton police department, and the officers involved in the events that led to the tragic deaths of the mother and child. The lawsuit claims that Dayton police officers failed to follow department policy or protect the mother and child from physical and emotional harm, which led to their needless deaths. The Dayton Police Department has announced that two police officers have been suspended for 160 hours each and were also ordered to undergo additional training as the investigation continues.
On June 23, 2022, almost 12 hours before Nelson and Guynn were found dead, two Dayton police officers responded to a domestic dispute call. Body camera footage showed the officers talking to Nelson and Hawes, who each stated they had been fighting and did not want to continue the relationship. The footage also showed Nelson asking the officers to make Hawes leave for the night because he had a gun.
The officers left the location after 30 minutes without making any decisions, other than noting Hawes would go to the basement. Less than an hour later, 31-year-old Aisha and six-year-old Harper were found shot to death in the basement of their residence. Their family is seeking accountability from the city and Dayton Police Department, as well as changes to department policy on the investigation of domestic violence claims.
Attorneys for the family argued that one or all parties should have be removed from the residence at the time of the original domestic dispute. The lawsuit claims that Dayton police failed to follow proper procedures, perform comprehensive risk assessments, or investigate reports and threats of domestic violence when they arrived at the residence. It further asserts that the city fails to provide adequate training and supervision to police officers in domestic violence calls.
Michael Wright will address media today at 3 p.m. at the law offices of Wright & Schulte, 130 W. Second Street, Suite 1600, Dayton, 45402.
For more information, please see the following article: https://www.whio.com/news/local/dayton-officers-suspended-after-internal-investigation-into-domestic-violence-call-prior-homicide/OUKGSNHIWBBDVCV223W6MXEWBY/
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The wrongful death lawyers at Wright & Schulte LLC tirelessly advocate for families of victims to acts of negligence. For more information, call our legal team at 937-222-7477 or contact us online.
