The mother of a 20-year-old Wahiawa man killed by a police sharpshooter last year has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in federal court against the officer and the city. HPD faces wrongful-death lawsuit
By Leila Fujimori
lfujimori@starbulletin.comCynthia Long, whose son, Dustan Long, shot and wounded two men and fired at police during a standoff in June at his Wahiawa home, sued the city and officer Patrick A. Sterling on Wednesday.
The city prosecutor's office decided in January not to seek charges against Sterling and cleared him of wrongdoing in the shooting.
Attorney Jack Schweigert, who filed the suit, said hooligans crashed a party at Long's house and "pulverized his friend."
As they were leaving in a car, Long fired at them with his .22-caliber rifle, wounding one man in the hand and another man superficially.
The suit states Sterling shot Long without warning while police had surrounded his home.
Sterling was a member of the Honolulu Police Department's Specialized Services Division, which had been called to the scene at 290 Karsten Drive.
The suit alleges the officer's use of deadly force was excessive and unreasonable.
The suit also alleges the city wrongfully exonerated itself. It blamed the city for its indifference in properly training, supervising and controlling Sterling, which created a situation where unnecessary death was likely.
After the initial shooting, police said Long failed to negotiate with them while he holed up in his house.
Long told a friend on a cell phone that he would give himself up if he would come up the driveway to get him, but police called that "a dangerous compromise."
According to police, Long was shooting at officers as they were fleeing for cover, when the sharpshooter fired at Long once in the chest.
However, the friend on the cell phone said Long fired one shot in the air.
HPD declined comment as is its practice with pending litigation.