Officer Sarah Stumler

Louisville – A man shot in the stomach by a Metro Police officer while in an abandoned western Louisville home last year has filed a lawsuit claiming he never posed a physical threat to the cop.

38-year-old Bruce Warrick was shot almost immediately after being found by Officer Sarah Stumler on March 2, who was searching a house at 26th and Magazine streets due to reports of a man doing drugs inside.

Stumler’s body camera showed as she looked behind a box spring mattress she found Warrick, who was standing in the shadows. “Show your hands,” she yelled, before raising her gun and firing once.

Warrick’s suit, which was filed in Jefferson Circuit Court this month, notes that he was unarmed. It also alleges Stumler had no reason to believe he posed “any threat of serious bodily injury” to the officer.

Police policy states deadly force is authorized when officers act in defense of themselves or another, and reasonably believe that a person poses an immediate threat of death or serious physical injury.

Stumler, who has been on the force for about 10 years, remains on administrative leave as the Jefferson Commonwealth’s attorney continues to review if criminal charges against the officer are warranted. Her personnel file shows more than a dozen commendations and two disciplinary actions for court attendance and being at fault in a car accident.

Two other officers, Braden Lammers and Aaron Seneker, were also at the scene but did not fire their weapons.

At the time of the shooting Mayor Greg Fischer asked for the community’s patience but assured continued transparency in the investigation. He also asked for residents to pray for Stumler and Warrick.

Warrick, who survived the shooting, spent several weeks in the hospital, according to the suit. None of the officers were injured during the incident.

The suit seeks unspecified damages.

Source: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2018/02/19/man-shot-lmpd-cop-files-lawsuit/352655002/