- Dec 14, 2000
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DENVILLE, N.J. (AP) _ Two years ago, police Sgt. Ron Nametko talked a suicidal sheriff's officer into putting down his weapon and surrendering. Now the sergeant, who has since retired with a disability, is suing the man who pointed a loaded gun at him, citing emotional distress from the incident.
Nametko, 38, calmly talked with the officer for more than 45 minutes, refusing the man's demands to kill him in November 2004.
The lawsuit, filed in Superior Court in Morristown, accuses former Morris County sheriff's officer Patrick O'Connor, 40, of assault and battery, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress and false imprisonment.
"It strikes me as one of the strangest tort lawsuits I've ever heard of," George Thomas, a professor of criminal law and procedure at Rutgers School of Law in Newark, told The Star-Ledger of Newark for Thursday's newspapers.
And a claim against the suicidal man's neighbor, who Nametko accuses of aiding the distraught officer, is "even more bizarre," Thomas said.
Nametko told the newspaper last April that O'Connor was standing 10 feet away from him, pointing a loaded .45-caliber revolver at him.
"He kept telling me, 'I want to die suicide by cop,"' Nametko said at the time. "He told me if I didn't shoot him, he'll shoot me, and the next officer into the room would shoot him."
Nametko knew O'Connor, having worked with him briefly in the Morris County prosecutor's office. He said they talked about their respective children, which seemed to calm O'Connor, who eventually surrendered.
Nametko declined to discuss the suit Wednesday. His lawyer, Steven Menaker, told the newspaper Nametko "is haunted by the fear of being killed and has frequent nightmares and depression. He can never be a cop again."
Doug Wilkins, O'Connor's neighbor, also is named in the lawsuit. He told the newspaper he met Nametko outside his own home, where O'Connor was holding the gun, on the day of the incident.
The lawsuit alleges Wilkins told Nametko that O'Connor was on the second floor, but did not tell him what kind of situation he was about to encounter.
"I told him (Nametko) about the guns," Wilkins said. "Wasn't he doing his job? What, is a fireman going to sue every time he runs into a burning building?"
O'Connor's lawyer, Alan Zegas, also criticized the lawsuit, claiming his client has "severe psychiatric issues."
"That's just terrible," Zegas said. "You would think a fellow officer would be sympathetic for what Pat has gone through."
thats just fricken nuts. someone is looking for a payday. granted i do think that they should have access to counseler even after retired etc.
but this is insane. good thing he is getting made to look like a fool.
DENVILLE, N.J. (AP) _ Two years ago, police Sgt. Ron Nametko talked a suicidal sheriff's officer into putting down his weapon and surrendering. Now the sergeant, who has since retired with a disability, is suing the man who pointed a loaded gun at him, citing emotional distress from the incident.
Nametko, 38, calmly talked with the officer for more than 45 minutes, refusing the man's demands to kill him in November 2004.
The lawsuit, filed in Superior Court in Morristown, accuses former Morris County sheriff's officer Patrick O'Connor, 40, of assault and battery, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress and false imprisonment.
"It strikes me as one of the strangest tort lawsuits I've ever heard of," George Thomas, a professor of criminal law and procedure at Rutgers School of Law in Newark, told The Star-Ledger of Newark for Thursday's newspapers.
And a claim against the suicidal man's neighbor, who Nametko accuses of aiding the distraught officer, is "even more bizarre," Thomas said.
Nametko told the newspaper last April that O'Connor was standing 10 feet away from him, pointing a loaded .45-caliber revolver at him.
"He kept telling me, 'I want to die suicide by cop,"' Nametko said at the time. "He told me if I didn't shoot him, he'll shoot me, and the next officer into the room would shoot him."
Nametko knew O'Connor, having worked with him briefly in the Morris County prosecutor's office. He said they talked about their respective children, which seemed to calm O'Connor, who eventually surrendered.
Nametko declined to discuss the suit Wednesday. His lawyer, Steven Menaker, told the newspaper Nametko "is haunted by the fear of being killed and has frequent nightmares and depression. He can never be a cop again."
Doug Wilkins, O'Connor's neighbor, also is named in the lawsuit. He told the newspaper he met Nametko outside his own home, where O'Connor was holding the gun, on the day of the incident.
The lawsuit alleges Wilkins told Nametko that O'Connor was on the second floor, but did not tell him what kind of situation he was about to encounter.
"I told him (Nametko) about the guns," Wilkins said. "Wasn't he doing his job? What, is a fireman going to sue every time he runs into a burning building?"
O'Connor's lawyer, Alan Zegas, also criticized the lawsuit, claiming his client has "severe psychiatric issues."
"That's just terrible," Zegas said. "You would think a fellow officer would be sympathetic for what Pat has gone through."
thats just fricken nuts. someone is looking for a payday. granted i do think that they should have access to counseler even after retired etc.
but this is insane. good thing he is getting made to look like a fool.
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