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A28 u.s. news
Diaranson 24 november 2021

Florida massacre families to get millions for FBI’s inaction

(AP) — The families of ters.
most of those killed and
wounded in the 2018 Flor- Paul David Stern, the lead at-
ida high school massacre torney defending the govern-
announced Monday have ment, did not immediately
reached a multi-million return a call seeking com-
dollar settlement with the ment.
federal government over
the FBI’s failure to stop About five weeks before the
the gunman even though Feb. 14, 2018, shooting, an
it had received informa- FBI tip line received a call
tion he intended to attack. saying a former Stoneman
Douglas student, Nikolas
Attorneys for 16 of the 17 Cruz, had bought guns and
killed at Marjory Stoneman planned to “slip into a school
Douglas High School in and start shooting the place
Parkland and some of those up.”
wounded said they have
reached a monetary settle- “I know he’s going to ex-
ment with the government plode,” the caller told the
over the FBI’s failure to in- FBI.
vestigate a tip it received
about a month before the But that information was
massacre. The 17th family never forwarded to the FBI’s
chose not to sue. South Florida office and
surable grief, have devoted commended the FBI for ac- Cruz was never contacted.
The attorneys said the settle- themselves to making the cepting responsibility for its Tony Montalto, whose He had been expelled from
ment’s details are confiden- world a safer place,” their inaction, comparing it to the 14-year-old daughter Gina the school a year earlier and
tial, but a person familiar with lead attorney, Kristina In- Broward County school dis- died, said no settlement will had a long history of emo-
the deal said the government fante, said in a statement. “Al- trict and sheriff’s office, the “replace my bright, bubbly tional and behavioral prob-
will pay the families $127.5 though no resolution could school security staff and the and beautiful daughter.” He lems.
million overall. The person ever restore what the Park- psychologists who treated the said that while other families
requested anonymity because land families lost, this settle- shooter. He believes they all celebrate Thanksgiving this Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty last
they were not authorized to ment marks an important failed to stop the shooter and week, Gina’s chair will re- month to 17 counts of first-
discuss the amount. step toward justice.” have ducked responsibility. main empty. degree murder. He will re-
ceive either a death sentence
“It has been an honor to rep- Andrew Pollack, whose “The FBI has made changes Both Montalto and Pollack or life in prison after a pen-
resent the Parkland families 18-year-old daughter Mead- to make sure this never hap- said any money they receive alty trial that is scheduled to
who, through their immea- ow died in the shooting, pens again,” Pollack said. will not replace their daugh- start in January.

Man locked up because of mistaken identity sues Hawaii

(AP) — A formerly home- The petition filed in state out for his arrest for allegedly partment “is currently re- school. It’s unclear why, but
less man who ended up in court in August laid bare violating probation in a 2006 viewing department policies he gave the last name Castle-
a mental institution for Spriestersbach’s bizarre drug case. and procedures to determine berry, which was his grandfa-
more than two years be- plight, which started with if changes are needed, In- ther’s last name, his lawyers
cause of mistaken identity him falling asleep on a side- Despite Spriestersbach’s pro- terim Chief Rade Vanic said. said. He didn’t give a first
is suing the state and vari- walk. He was homeless and tests that he wasn’t Castle- “We are also continuing to name.
ous Honolulu police of- hungry while waiting in a berry, he ended up in the work with city attorneys to
ficers, Hawaii public de- long line for food outside a Hawaii State Hospital, where fully investigate and address Thomas Castleberry’s 2009
fenders and doctors. Honolulu shelter in 2017. he was forced to take psychi- the allegations in the law- warrant came up, but police
atric drugs, the petition said. suit.” were able to determine Spri-
Joshua Spriestersbach’s at- When a police officer roused When a doctor looked into estersbach wasn’t Thomas
torneys say in a lawsuit filed him awake, Spriestersbach his case and verified the mix- State Public Defender James Castleberry.
Sunday in U.S. District Court thought he was being arrest- up, officials tried to cover up Tabe said Monday his office
in Honolulu that Hawaii of- ed for the city’s ban on sitting the mistake by quietly setting had no comment. Spriestersbach was arrested
ficials haven’t responded to a or laying on public sidewalks. him free with just 50 cents to again in 2015 for sleeping in a
petition seeking to correct his his name, his lawyers said. Spriestersbach’s lawyers park. He gave his real name,
records to ensure the error The officer mistook him for hope the lawsuit will lead to but Thomas Castleberry ap-
never happens again. a man named Thomas Cas- Spriestersbach’s lawsuit al- procedural changes to ensure peared as an alias. Authori-
tleberry, who had a warrant leges false imprisonment, proper identification of peo- ties checked fingerprints and
intentional infliction of emo- ple in custody, said Kenneth again determined he wasn’t
tional distress, malicious Lawson, co-director of the Castleberry.
prosecution, abuse of process Hawaii Innocence Project.
and other claims. They’re also seeking mon- During his 2017 arrest, Spri-
etary damages, to be deter- estersbach gave his real name,
“The Department of the At- mined in court. but Thomas Castleberry still
torney General has not been showed up as an alias. This
served with the complaint The lawsuit sheds new light time, he was arrested for the
and have not yet had the op- on factors that led to the mix- warrant.
portunity to review it with up, starting with an encoun-
our client agencies,” Gary ter with officers that hap- Even though he was finger-
Yamashiroya, special assistant pened years earlier. printed and photographed
to the Hawaii attorney gen- at a jail, no one checked
eral, said Monday. Spriestersbach was arrested the prints or photo against
in 2011 for sleeping in a stair- Thomas Castleberry’s, the
The Honolulu Police De- well of a Honolulu middle lawsuit said.