Wednesday, April 06, 2005

Pierce County Settles With Crystal Brame's Family

PIERCE COUNTY - Almost two years after then-Tacoma police Chief David Brame killed his wife and committed suicide, Pierce County has settled with the family. Lane and Patty Judson, Crystal Brame's parents, say this tragedy should never have happened. They say David Brame was unfit to be a police officer, let alone a chief. And they say earlier 911 calls from Crystal Brame failed to get an appropriate response. Crystal Brame's family sued Tacoma, Pierce County and the City of Gig Harbor where the shooting occurred. But on April 6, the Judsons agreed to dismiss Pierce County from the lawsuit. In exchange, Pierce County will do the following to help address domestic violence issues in the community:
1. The Pierce County Sheriff's Department will devote three domestic violence investigators and a sergeant to staff the Family Justice Center -- a new one-stop community service facility for victims of domestic violence and their children.
2. The county will conduct a series of domestic violence training seminars for sheriff's deputies and law enforcement personnel from other municipalities in the county, as well as make such training available to other entities.
3. The county will dedicate a plaque to the memory of Crystal Judson at the new Family Justice Center.
Neither the family nor their attorneys will receive any monetary benefit from the agreement.
There is apparently no settlement with the City of Tacoma, and that lawsuit will continue.

No comments: