Family of Clinton police officer killed in 911 error receive settlement in wrongful death
The parents of a Clinton, Missouri, police officer killed in a gun battle after being sent to the wrong address on a 911 call in March 2018 have settled a wrongful death lawsuit for $1.6 million, according to court documents.
The parents of Officer Christopher Ryan Morton filed the lawsuit in September 2019 alleging that Henry County and its 911 emergency system was faulty and led to the mistake that left Morton dead and two other officers injured. The man who shot them was also killed.
The shooting unfolded March 6, 2018 after emergency dispatches mistakenly sent officers to 306. W. Grandriver St. in Clinton because of a 911 call made 20 miles away.
Tammy D. Widger, who was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and four other felonies, met the arriving officers on the porch and told them that there was no emergency and that no one was inside the home.
Moments later, James Waters, who was inside the home, opened fire and a gun battle erupted. Waters fatally wounded Morton and injured two other officers, police said. Waters also died in the gun battle.
Widger pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Investigators found methamphetamine and other drugs in the home after the shooting. Prosecutors alleged that Widger and Waters were involved in dealing drugs, leading to the three officers being shot.
Cass County Judge William B. Collins approved the settlement in late December.
Under the judge’s order, about $691,647 will go to parent’s attorney, the Schmitt Law Firm, to cover attorneys fees and expenses for the case. About $6,910 will be used to cover a lien.
The remaining $926,843 will go to Morton’s parents, Darrel and Tara Morton.
The lawsuit, originally filed in Henry County but was transferred to Clinton County, named as defendants: Henry County 911 Emergency Communications, Harris Systems USA, which is also known as Caliber Public Safety, and Colossus Inc., which is also known as InterAct Public Safety Systems, which provide 911 emergency systems.
Also named as defendants are several individuals: Kristin Jones, listed as the director of the Henry County 911 center; Ken Scott, chairman of the 911 center; Kristen Jones, director of the center’ Spencer Townsend, a dispatcher, and Dana Hale, another dispatcher.
For their part of the settlement, Henry County 911 Emergency Communications, its 911 center staff named in the suit and its insurance company, Missouri Public Entity Risk Management Fund, agreed to pay Morton’s parents $113,400 , according to an agreement obtained by The Star through a Missouri Sunshine Law request.
The settlement agreement was not deemed to be an admission of any liability or responsibility for the death of Morton. It was also meant to be kept confidential unless a request was made under the Missouri Sunshine law.
At the time Morton’s parents filed their lawsuit, four other lawsuits were filed against the defendants by Nathan Bettencourt Jr., Scott Brandt, Jackson S. Lawson, Nicholas Kasper and the city of Clinton. Bettencourt and Kasper were the two other officers injured in the gun battle.
Henry County 911 center has settled those lawsuits and agreed to pay $69,300 to Bettencort, $12,600 to Kasper, $6,300 to Brandt, $6,300 to Lawson and $2,100 to the city of Clinton, according to settlement agreements obtained under the Missouri Sunshine law. The settlement amounts are to also cover unspecified legal fees and costs for the plaintiffs’ Schmitt Law Firm.
Under a separate agreement also obtained under the sunshine law, Harris Systems, Colossus Inc., Chubb Insurance Co. and Constellation Software Inc. have agreed to pay $30,000 to the city of Clinton and the Schmitt Law firm.
