Nearly three years later, a lawsuit has been filed in the shooting death of 20-year-old Bo Morrison
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- A lawsuit has been filed in connection with the death of Bo Morrison.
20-year-old Morrison was shot and killed on March 3rd, 2012 in Slinger.
Hours after police busted an underage drinking party on Kettle Moraine Drive in Slinger, police were called back to the neighborhood by homeowner Adam Kind.
There, they found Bo Morrison dead inside Adam Kind's enclosed porch. Morrison had suffered a fatal gunshot wound -- shot by Adam Kind as he was allegedly hiding from police after the underage drinking party.
The Washington County District Attorney's Office declined to prosecute Adam Kind for the shooting -- relying in part on its analysis of the law of self-defense, and Wisconsin's adoption of the "Castle Doctrine" -- giving property owners more flexibility in protecting their homes.
Nearly three years later, a lawsuit has been filed by the Milwaukee law firm Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Bowen LLP.
The lawsuit names Morrison's mother, Lauri Morrison, and his estate as plaintiffs, and alleges various causes of action against the homeowner, Adam Kind. The lawsuit also names Kind’s insurance carrier as a defendant.
“Bo’s death was a tragedy that could have been avoided. This is our first step in attempting to obtain justice for Bo and his family in the civil courts. While we expect that there will be challenges and hurdles in seeking justice for Bo, we look forward to facing them in a court of law. We will not forget Bo and are eager to advance this matter to achieve justice for Bo and his family at a trial," Christopher Strohbehn, one of the trial attorneys working on the lawsuit said in a statement.
Adam Kind's attorney has issued this statement to FOX6 News:
Response on behalf of Mr. Kind:
It is unfortunate that another chapter in this sad incident has to be written, nearly three years after the fact, and after the Washington County DA determined that Mr. Kind acted in lawful self-defense by confronting an unknown intruder inside his home at night. As Mr. Kind has repeatedly stated, he feels terrible about Mr. Morrison's death, and regrets that he must again have his actions scrutinized in the legal system for an event that was caused by another person's entry to his home as he and his family were sleeping. He trusts that his reaction to this terrible circumstance will again be ruled justified, and that all parties can finally put this tragic matter behind them.
"They say time heals all wounds. Sometimes it doesn't. We think this could have been avoided, and it didn't have to happen. Right now, (Bo's mother) hasn't obtained any justice for Bo," Strohbehn said.
The investigation report in this case describes Morrison as a 2010 graduate from West Bend East High School who played football, baseball and wrestled, and was also a snowboarder. Morrison attended MATC in Milwaukee and graduated with a certificate in carpentry. The report calls Morrison’s death “a tragedy,” and says “many poor decisions were made that night, which contributed to the sequence of events that led to his death.”
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