Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Man injured in chase sues Madison & Jackson police


A man injured during a 2014 police chase sued the Madison and Jackson police departments as well as their respective chiefs and mayors in November 2014 in Hinds County Circuit Court.  Robert Pugh was injured as Madison police chased two suspects from the Target store in Jackson to the intersection of Gallatin Street and Oakmont Street.  He is represented by attorney Rocky Wilkins.   The case is assigned to Judge Winston Kidd.


The complaint states that Madison PD "exceeded its jurisdiction" when it went to the Target store in Jackson on February 22, 2014.  Two suspects used stolen credit cards at the store.  Store personnel alerted MPD and JPD to the presence of the suspects.  MPD dispatched units to the store and claimed it notified JPD. The complaint states that JPD claims MPD did not request help. MPD allegedly pursued the suspects at speeds over 90 mph.  It is not known if the chase had anything to do with the Germans.  The suspects crashed into the rear of Mr. Pugh's vehicle at the intersection of Oakmont and Gallatin.  The complaint states the chase lasted approximately fifteen minutes and through through I-55, High Street, and "narrow streets by neighborhoods and churches in Jackson".    The crash knocked Mr. Pugh's vehicle through a fence and into Carl's Sheet Metal building on Gallatin Street.  The building was ironically owned by the family of the Madison city attorney.



Mr. Pugh suffered several injuries.  The complaint states he was bleeding from his right eye, nose, and mouth.  He suffered fractured ribs, a compression fracture of a lumbar vertebrae, and a blown pupil.  He wears a back brace and is still treated for his injuries.  He claims medical bills are over $40,000.  The complaint seeks recovery for the medical costs and lost wages as well as punitive damages.

Madison asked Judge Kidd to dismiss the case last summer.  Madison argued that the case should have been filed in Madison County since Madison is a defendant in the case. No further action has happened in the case.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why doesn't the man file a lawsuit against the criminals? Sounds like they are the people to blame.

Anonymous said...

Who and/or what are the Germans?

PittPanther said...

9:53, is it standard practice for police to initiate a high speed chase for a non-violent crime?

The response of law enforcement needs to fit the crime as well as the risk to the public. The police escalated the situation from a simple case of larceny into something that could have resulted in the deaths of innocent people, and did result in serious injuries to an innocent person. This unnecessary escalation is why the police are rightfully being sued.

Anonymous said...

Rocky knows a deep pocket when he sees it. These cops were reckless in consideration that the crimes were non-violent property crimes. No need to conduct a high speed chase in those circumstances. Most agencies have policies forbidding such chases. This case will settle eventually.

Johnny Weir said...

The criminals are the ones to blame.
1.) They should be the only one that can get sued if true justice is to prevail.
2.) The suing attorney should have to have some skin in the game if true justice is to prevail.(If it's tossed the suing attorney should have to pay all parties legal fees,cost + billable hours!
3.) Madison asked Judge Kidd to dismiss the case last summer. Madison argued that the case should have been filed in Madison County since Madison is a defendant in the case. No further action has happened in the case. The judge is at fault. Were is the fair and speedy trial?
4.) Laws in the United States are a mockery to Justice.
5.) Like in the movie A Civil Action states "Don't expect to find justice in the court system. That's the last place to look".
6.) The current justice system is full of supercilious pricks.

Anonymous said...

@9:55

The guys that bombed Pearl Harbor

Squeezer said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

@10:59

Do you have any clue about what you are talking about? The suing attorney should have to pay all parties legal fees, costs, plus billable hours, if the case is dismissed? That's hilarious. Explain to me the difference between paying "legal fees" and paying "billable hours". Appreciate ya!

Anonymous said...

While it's true that if criminals don't flee, no pursuit begins, but pursuits need to have rational restrictions so the lives of innocent bystanders are not at risk.

The policemen's lives are at risk in a chase so we have to have good training and good policy. Without those two elements firmly in place, the city and county should be liable.

There are sound alternatives to police chases that , while not as thrilling, still result in the arrest of the criminals.

Once a chase is initiated, it's an bad accident waiting to happen. Adrenaline and human nature kicks in and everyone involved is operating on impaired judgment.

If data and facts determined whether or not police pursuits were common rather than politics and the public need to " feel" safer rather than BE safer, chases would be uncommon.

Y'all should try actually studying this issue based on research done by and for law enforcement.

There are officers that love pursuits. They are fun. The job is usually routine and boring and they live for the highs. That doesn't mean their attitude towards pursuits is based on good police work.

Anonymous said...

Weren't the Madison cops just exonerated? Not that that will make a difference in the civil suit.

Anonymous said...

@12:55
"There are officers that love pursuits. They are fun. The job is usually routine and boring and they live for the highs. That doesn't mean their attitude towards pursuits is based on good police work."

From your comment should we ass-u-me that you are a sworn LEO? I think not. LEOs care about their safety as well as that of the public. They DO NOT have a death wish as you seem inclined to believe.

Back in the day you would have been told to JUMA!

Anonymous said...

Isn't it about time we get a helicopter with spotlight? This is a war zone after all.

Anonymous said...

If criminals know they will not be chased, they will always flee. One stolen tag before the crime and they would always be home free. It matters not what the crime is, when a chase is started, the officers do not know what the charges will be.

Debit card thief may have a victim tied up at the house getting raped by his accomplices who will then shoot the pregnant wife in the head so her husband can find her at nine in the morning after returning from the gym, she could even be 8 months pregnant.

I would want the PO PO to chase this debit card thief.

One criminals family just got 5 million without even asking for a dime because the PO Po killed his sorry criminal ass.

Crime does pay. Us with real money are not excited by the small amounts they get buy these folks will kill you for fun or the hopes of some dollars. Your suffering is funny to the subhumans. I like to say, they will kill you on credit.

Anonymous said...

I told you 'The G__ D__n Germans aint got nuthin' to do with this !!!!

Give me that talker Jr.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Will someone please explain how the crooks who are running from the cops at high speeds are not a threat to public safety because they stole property, yet the cops giving chase are a safety threat? My line of thinking says a thief who will do 70+mph on residential streets is a danger to society whether he's being chased or not. Say he is isn't being chased and spots an easy target to carjack, hoping to throw LEOs off his scent. Maybe he throws an elderly driver to the pavement in the process. That violent enough?

Anonymous said...

Madison P.D. endangered the lives of law abiding citizens in their pursuit of non life threatening criminals when they had enough information,including video , from Target Stores to apprehend them at another time. This is not justified. Madison P.D. should be held responsible for their actions, which were not necessary at the time of this pursuit.The injured innocent law abiding citizen has medical bills above $40,000.00 and should be suing the involved officers and the Madison Police Dept. for incompetence and bad judge
ment

Anonymous said...

@1:00 First of all the CRIMINALS are the ones that endangered the lives of law abiding citizens. Secondly the MPD WAS using information from prior use of the cards when they went to Target to apprehend the crooks.. How long is long enough to leave the crooks on the street? Everybody wants to blame the police. How about blaming the criminals? After all, fleeing a police officer is a felony. That's reason enough to continue a chase.

Anonymous said...

Remember Jamie Fowler Boyll?

Fed Up With Fondrenites said...

1:00 a.m., actually you have no way of knowing, nor did the police, that the fleeing criminals were non life threatening. Nor do you know if the cops had prior knowledge of a tape (sufficient for future apprehension). You're a pussy-headed Monday Morning Quarterback who ought to get back out in your Fondren garden and tiptoe through your tulips. Law enforcement is dangerous work. Pursuing criminals is a dangerous activity. Allowing them to flee while hoping to catch them later on is a silly suggestion unworthy of consideration. We have plenty of criminals being released by the courts. We sure as hell don't need the police to 'stand down' every time one guns his Pontiac.

Anonymous said...

12:55

There are no "sound alternatives." There are indeed "alternatives" but none that reduce liberties for the law-abiding.

Anonymous said...

@8:17 Yes I do remember her. I was headed north on Ridgewood just south of Northside when this tragic accident happened. What you seem to have forgotten is that JPD had called off the chase and were no longer in pursuit of the CRIMINAL that hit her.

Anonymous said...

Wonder if all of the people who think the law should not chase criminals would have the same opinion if they were the victims?

Anonymous said...

9:31, if I or a family member were the victim of the chase and subsequent crash, yes, I would have the same opinion as Mr. Pugh.

Anonymous said...

Is it less chase worthy if they just carjack and kidnap someone and
take them and their bank card to the ATM?

This is a funny world, half of the folks are polyannas
and the other half know the wolf is always at the door.

The polyannas want the other half to not be wolf watchers,
does it make them feel bad they are cowards?

I sure hope this old world keeps on about like it is and
never gets real bad in the US.

Anonymous said...

Madison police drive into Hinds County and cause damage to private, innocent citizens and property, yet they ask Kidd to dismiss because they want to be tried in Madison County? I bet Winston chuckled when denying the motion.

Anonymous said...

It's really wrong that Mr. Pugh should have to sue. One would think that Madison (or any municipality/entity initiating a high-speed chase) would have aggressively sought to 'make him whole', after the accident. There should not have been any question about this.


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