Accident – Death – Obituary News :

Family Files Lawsuit Against Police Officers and City of Independence After Fatal Collision

The family of a man who tragically lost his life in a collision involving a driver fleeing from the police has filed a lawsuit against four police officers and the City of Independence. Jake Monteer, aged 41, and Jessica Fields, aged 42, were innocent bystanders who were fatally struck on March 22 near Scott Avenue and Winner Road.

David and Terri Monteer, parents of the deceased Jake Monteer, initiated the lawsuit on Tuesday in Jackson County Circuit Court. The lawsuit alleges that Officers Joshua Gena, Robert Romey, Jeremie Stauch, and Eric Simpson were negligent in their pursuit of a driver who was seen entering a vehicle that was allegedly stolen.

According to the lawsuit, the officers failed to immobilize the vehicle and prevent the chase. Additionally, stop sticks were placed at a location deemed dangerous, resulting in the driver losing control and colliding with Jake Monteer’s motorcycle. Tragically, Jake Monteer died at the scene, while Jessica Fields was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced deceased shortly after.

The lawsuit further claims that the officers neglected to take photographs at the scene or interview witnesses, suggesting an attempted cover-up of the dangerous and negligent use of the stop sticks at the intersection.

The pursuit continued until the driver, identified as 27-year-old Melvin Brown, was apprehended. Brown has been charged by Jackson County prosecutors with two counts of second-degree murder, fleeing, leaving the scene of an accident, and tampering with a motor vehicle. His trial is scheduled to commence in March.

In addition to holding the officers accountable, the lawsuit also asserts that the City of Independence failed to adequately train its officers and fostered a “wild west” culture regarding vehicle pursuits.

James Walker, attorney for the Monteers, stated, “They hope that this lawsuit will cause Independence to stop trading human lives for stolen cars by engaging in these high-speed chases.”

The Independence Police Department has unfortunately been involved in several deadly chases in the past. In September, an officer initiated a pursuit of a pickup truck without a license plate, which was called off moments before the driver crashed into a bystander’s car, resulting in the death of a 50-year-old woman. Similarly, in 2018, Independence officers pursued a woman in a stolen vehicle who ultimately crashed into an uninvolved Dodge, leading to the deaths of three individuals in the Dodge and a passenger in the stolen vehicle.

At the time of reporting, the City of Independence and the Independence Police Department had not responded to the lawsuit or provided any official comment.

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