On November 3, Gabby Petito’s parents filed a lawsuit against the police department in Moab City, Utah, according to CNN. The wrongful death suit alleges negligence on officers’ part when they stopped Petito and Brian Laundrie on that August 12, 2021, traffic stop. Footage of the interview, caught by police body cameras, shows Petito saying she hit Laundrie first, even though officers saw that she had bruises, and the witness saw Laundrie hitting Petito.
The notice of claim for the suit says Petito “displayed the classic hallmarks of an abused partner” by putting the blame for the incident on herself. The claim also includes a photo of Petito with bruises from Laundrie. Despite the proof, and inconsistencies in Laundrie’s story, the Moab police tried to book Petito as the primary aggressor, per KUTV. They eventually dropped the case when both Petito and Laundrie objected. An independent review conducted in January 2022 recommended the officers involved in the case be placed on probation because of “unintentional mistakes,” and recommend additional training for officers responding to domestic violence situations.
Read Related Also: CPD searching for man posing as officer, seen carry badge, gun on Chicago’s South Side
Now, Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt are suing for $50 million for wrongful death, accusing the police of failing to protect Petito and misusing Utah’s DV laws. They also claim one officer was biased against Petito because of his past experience, per The Salt Lake Tribune. “We feel we need to bring justice because she could have been protected that day,” Schmidt said. “There are laws put in place to protect victims, and those laws were not followed, and we don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
