Posted in Negligence on June 6, 2017
A Tulsa County District Court Judge has entered judgment for $2,000,000.00 against former Oklahoma Highway Trooper, Sheldon Robinson, in the death of Michael Swatosh.
Robinson killed Swatosh after an encounter on a motel stairway in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Robinson claimed he shot Swatosh in self-defense, but an investigation revealed inconsistencies in Robinson’s explanations.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol terminated Robinson’s employment after shooting Swatosh, but it was not Robinson’s first shooting, or disciplinary encounter.
Swatosh was the third person shot by Robinson while employed by the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety.
The judgment against Robinson followed several years of litigation that included an unsuccessful appeal by Robinson’s employer to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The victory at the Supreme Court reaffirmed existing scope of employment questions established by prior case law.
Bryan and Terrill served as counsel of record in the matter.