Settlement reached in police lawsuit
A Las Vegas sign company owner who was involved in an exchange of gunfire with police in 1990 has reached a tentative settlement in his civil rights lawsuit against the Metropolitan Police Department and two officers.
Dennis Jaeger, who was struck in the abdomen and foot by gunfire in an April 15, 1990, confrontation, has reached a "global resolution" in several lawsuits, according to U.S. District Court documents.
Attorneys for both sides declined to comment on the cases. Jaeger attorney Cal Potter cited a confidentiality clause and Police Department attorney Walt Cannon said no settlement has officially been reached.
"We can't do anything without fiscal affairs (approval)," Cannon said. "As of right now there is no settlement and if there was, I couldn't talk about it anyway."
Jaeger, owner of Southwestern Signs, could not be reached for comment.
Before his 1993 criminal trial on attempted murder charges, Jaeger, who was acquitted, filed suits in federal and state courts against officers Janet Beck and Dennis McGuiness.
The shooting occurred late at night in the back of Jaeger's home following a report of a disturbance call.
Beck and McGuiness filed a lawsuit against Jaeger the next day, prompting Jaeger to criticize the move by the officers as an abuse of the legal system.
The last important court filing in the case came in July when U.S. District Judge Philip Pro refused to throw out the abuse of process charges against McGuiness.
Pro found that it could be reasonably assumed that McGuiness, who indicated in depositions he did not want money out of Jaeger because he suffered no injuries, only joined the lawsuit to assist Beck.
Beck had fired her weapon 11 times at Jaeger and claimed at trial that he shot first at her. Jaeger attorney Tom Pitaro had suggested that Beck panicked and fired first.
Potter said in a previous interview that Jaeger was seeking $1 million from the defendants. The proposed settlement is scheduled to be submitted for approval by the county on Oct. 25.
