Page 28 - bon-dia-aruba-20220217

A28 u.s. news
Diahuebs 17 Februari 2022

Sandy Hook families settle for $73M with gun maker Remington

style rifle used in the massacre, also pation with violence and access to his
agreed to allow the families to release mother’s weapons “proved a recipe
numerous documents they obtained for mass murder,” according to Con-
during the lawsuit including ones necticut’s child advocate.
showing how it marketed the weap- The National Shooting Sports Foun-
on, the families said. dation, a Newtown-based group that
represents gunmakers, said courts
Remington had argued there was no should not have allowed the case to
evidence to establish that its mar- proceed and it believes the plaintiffs
keting had anything to do with the would have lost at trial.
shooting.
A lawyer for the plaintiffs, Josh Kos-
The company also had said the law- koff, said the settlement should serve
suit should have been dismissed be- as a “wake up call” to the gun indus-
cause of a federal law that gives broad try and its financial backers.
immunity to the gun industry. But
the Connecticut Supreme Court “For the gun industry, it’s time to
ruled Remington could be sued un- stop recklessly marketing all guns to
der state law over how it marketed all people for all uses and instead ask
the rifle. The gun maker appealed to how marketing can lower risk rather
(AP) — The families of nine vic- an industry that has thus far enjoyed the U.S. Supreme Court, which de- than court it,” Koskoff said.
tims of the Sandy Hook Elemen- operating with immunity and impu- clined to hear the case.
tary School shooting have agreed nity,” Veronique De La Rosa, whose Damages from the settlement will be
to a $73 million settlement of a 6-year-old son Noah was killed in the Remington, one of the nation’s old- paid only to the families who signed
lawsuit against the maker of the shooting, said at a news conference. est gun makers founded in 1816, filed onto the lawsuit, and not other vic-
rifle used to kill 20 first graders for bankruptcy for a second time in tims’ families. None of the relatives
and six educators in 2012, their Messages seeking comment were left 2020 and its assets were later sold off who spoke at the news conferences
attorney said Tuesday. for Remington and its lawyers Tues- to several companies. The manufac- described plans for the money.
day. turer was weighed down by lawsuits
The case was watched closely by gun and retail sales restrictions following Four insurers for the now-bank-
control advocates, gun rights sup- The civil court case in Connecticut the school shooting. rupt company agreed to pay the full
porters and manufacturers because of focused on how the firearm used by amount of coverage available, totaling
its potential to provide a roadmap for the Newtown shooter — a Bush- Adam Lanza, the 20-year-old gun- $73 million, the plaintiffs said.
victims of other shootings to sue the master XM15-E2S rifle — was mar- man in the Sandy Hook shooting,
makers of firearms. keted, alleging it targeted younger, at- used the rifle made by Remington “Today is not about honoring Ben.
risk males in marketing and product and legally owned by his mother to Today is about how and why Ben
The families and a survivor of the placement in violent video games. In kill the children and educators on died,” said Francine Wheeler, whose
shooting sued Remington in 2015, one of Remington’s ads, it features Dec. 14, 2012, after having killed his 6-year-old son was killed in the shoot-
saying the company should have nev- the rifle against a plain backdrop and mother at their Newtown home. He ing. “Today is about what is right and
er sold such a dangerous weapon to the phrase: “Consider Your Man then used a handgun to kill himself as what is wrong. Today is about the last
the public. They said their focus was Card Reissued.” police arrived. five minutes of his life which were
on preventing future mass shootings. tragic, traumatic, the worst thing that
As part of the settlement, Remington, Lanza’s severe and deteriorating could happen to a child, and how
“Today is a day of accountability for which made the Bushmaster AR-15- mental health problems, his preoccu- they unfolded as they did.”

Officer says he assumed fellow cops were caring for Floyd

(AP) — A former Min- said he took a “crowd con- The defense began present- tos from Thao’s police acad-
neapolis police officer trol” position on the roadway, ing witnesses Tuesday, and emy training, including some After displaying one of the
charged in George Floyd’s to serve as a “a human traf- all three former officers said that showed Thao and others photos, Paule asked Thao if
killing says he was relying fic cone” to keep traffic away they will testify. in handcuffing drills. In some one officer has his knee on
on his fellow officers to from the other officers. photos, Thao or others used the subject.
care for Floyd’s medical Defense attorneys are seek- their knees to restrain people.
needs as he controlled on- Tou Thao said during the ing to show that the Min-
lookers as police tried to federal trial for himself and neapolis Police Department
arrest the Black man. two other former officers provided inadequate training
that it was not unusual for and taught cadets to obey su-
Former Minneapolis Police cadets to use their knees in periors. Chauvin, who was
Officer Tou Thao is one of handcuffing training and that convicted of state murder
three former officers charged he was never corrected for it. and manslaughter charges
in federal court with violating last year, was the most senior
Floyd’s constitutional rights Thao, J. Alexander Kue- officer at the scene.
when Officer Derek Chauvin ng and Thomas Lane are
pressed his knee into Floyd’s broadly charged with violat- Thao, Kueng and Lane are
neck for 9 1/2 minutes as the ing Floyd’s constitutional accused of depriving Floyd
46-year-old Black man was rights while acting under of medical care. Kueng and
handcuffed, facedown on the government authority as Of- Thao are also accused of fail-
street. ficer Derek Chauvin pressed ing to intervene to stop the
his knee onto Floyd’s neck May 25, 2020, killing, which
Thao held back bystanders. for 9 1/2 minutes while the triggered protests worldwide
J. Alexander Kueng knelt on 46-year-old Black man was and a reexamination of rac-
Floyd’s back and Thomas handcuffed, facedown and ism and policing. The charg-
Lane held his legs. pleading for air. Kueng knelt es allege the officers’ actions
on Floyd’s back, Lane held resulted in Floyd’s death.
Thao took the stand Tuesday down his legs and Thao kept
as the fired officers began bystanders back. Thao’s attorney, Robert
presenting their defense. He Paule, displayed several pho-