The family of Gabby Petito announced Monday they had filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab Police Department Monday following her death in late 2021.
The suit states officers from the department did not properly respond to reports of violence and abuse they received from witnesses in Moab, Utah, on August 12, 2021, according to Fox News. The suit further alleges that the officers did not “understand and enforce the law of the State of Utah” to investigate the circumstances, the outlet reported.
BREAKING: Family of Gabby Petito announces $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against police in Moab, Utah, accusing the department of failing to properly investigate her domestic violence case and protect her. https://t.co/ubyd5UitQO
— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 8, 2022
Officer Daniel Robbins pulled over the van the two were traveling in after a witness saw the two violently arguing, with Officer Eric Pratt and two park rangers joining soon after, according to the suit.
Robbins allegedly wrote in a police report that Petito did “not stop crying, breathing heavily, or compose a sentence without needing to wipe away tears, wipe her nose, or rub her knees with her hands” during his interview, the suit states. (RELATED: Gabby Petito’s Parents Sue Brian Laundrie’s Parents For Allegedly Helping Son Get Away)
During the officer’s questioning of Laundrie, he told Robbins that Petito attempted to slap him after accusing him of trying to abandon her and stealing her cell phone, leading him to push her away, the suit alleges. The officers alleged did not question Laundire about inconsistencies in his story, the suit alleges.
#Breaking: Gabby Petito’s parents and their attorneys announce plans to file wrongful death lawsuit against the @moabpolice. They argue Gabby’s death was caused by the police department’s “wrongful acts or neglect.”
At the press conference now…@KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/Sh7xKCdxQG
— Matt Rascon (@MattRasconNews) August 8, 2022
After speaking to Laundrie and Petito, Pratt allegedly called Assistant Chief Braydon Palmer for assistance, who told him to read the Utah statute carefully and decide how to handle the incident, according to the suit.
Pratt allegedly googled the statute, read half of it, and “incorrectly” decided the law only recognizes assault if bodily injury was intended, the suit states. Robbins allegedly told Pratt he did not believe Petito was telling the truth, further suggesting that the city screen the police report and decide whether to press charges, the suit alleged. Pratt warned against the action, leading to Robbins deciding to issue a domestic assault citation while Pratt suggested separating the two for the night, the suit concluded.
Petito was found strangled to death in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming on September 19, 2021. An investigation into the officer’s actions concluded the responding officers at the traffic stop made “several mistakes” and did not say whether her death could have been prevented by their intervention.
Laundrie went missing after his parents reported he had not been accounted for. He was later discovered dead on October 20, 2021, allegedly from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Moab Police Department declined to comment to the Daily Caller’s request inquiry about the lawsuit.