MORGANTOWN – A judge has denied a request to dismiss a lawsuit alleging excessive force that was brought by the family of a woman who was shot and killed by police.
Judge Thomas Bedell was appointed to preside over the case by Chief Justice Menis Ketchum.
Bedell issued the order, denying the request by the Monongalia County Commission, two unnamed deputies, Sheriff Kenneth A. Kisner, the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department and the Monongalia County Homeland Security Emergency Management Agency MECCA 911.
The lawsuit was filed in January by Gregory S. Farmerie, the administrator of the Estate of Christie Cathers.
Farmerie claimed in June 2015, a sheriff’s deputy shot and killed Cathers following a car chase.
When Christie Cathers failed to pick up Matthew Cathers’ from work on June 4, 2015, he called 911 to have her reported missing. After he last known cellular location was discovered, a deputy transported Matthew Cathers to the location, which was across the street from Jo’s Globe Distribution Center and dropped him off to search for his wife and her cell phone.
Farmerie claims Matthew Cathers searched for her, but did not find her or her phone and returned to his residence on foot.
Unknown to him or to the deputy, Christie Cathers had purchased a new cell phone from a Verizon store in Morgantown earlier that day.
The following day, at approximately 3:13 p.m., a call came into MECCA advising that there was a female subject at Pierpont South Estates in Morgantown armed with a knife getting into a gray Dodge Avenger and that the subject could be under the influence of something.
Later, a police chase ensued and shots were fired at Christie Cathers, killing her. Farmerie claims the defendants used excessive force and are responsible for Christie Cathers’ wrongful death.
Farmerie is seeking compensatory and punitive damages with pre- and post-judgment interest. He is being represented by Segal and C. Edward Amos II of the Segal Law Firm.
Monongalia Circuit Court case number: 16-C-9