Bozeman Daily Chronicle
MISSOULA, Mont. — The parents of a Missoula man who killed himself while facing a law enforcement deadline to identify drug dealers have filed a federal lawsuit against Missoula city and county law enforcement officers, saying they told authorities that Colton Peterson was suicidal, but they continued to pressure him for information.
Peterson shot himself with a hunting rifle on July 27, 2010, a day after he was arrested for having marijuana and paraphernalia in his apartment, the lawsuit said. He was 21.
William and Juliena Darling are seeking at least $300,000 in compensatory damages and unspecified punitive damages for alleged violations of Peterson’s constitutional rights, along with attorney’s fees, the Missoulian reported Wednesday.
Attorneys for the city, police department and a detective have responded that nothing in the lawsuit justifies granting relief for any alleged violation of Peterson’s federal or state constitutional rights.
“Colton Peterson violated his own constitutional responsibilities... and those violations caused the damages or injuries” to Peterson and his parents, the city responded in asking that the lawsuit be dismissed.
The county has not filed its response The lawsuit. alleges the Darlings learned their son had a handgun and was threatening suicide five days before his death. The next day, three people invaded his apartment. He pointed his gun at them, but it misfired and they beat him up.
Police said they did not file charges “due to a lack of evidence that the use of force on Colton Peterson was not justified,” according to the city’s response.
Petersons’ father took away his gun and ammunition.
On July 26, a police officer and a sheriff ‘s detective seized marijuana and paraphernalia from Peterson’s apartment, after which the sheriff ‘s detective began pressuring him to pass along the names of major drug dealers, the lawsuit alleges.
Throughout the case, the Darlings said they were speaking with law enforcement about their fears that Peterson was suicidal, the lawsuit says Peterson. did pass along information about cocaine and marijuana dealers in the Missoula area, the city’s response said, and told the police officer that he felt “a lot more relaxed” the day before he killed himself.
In September 2010, Missoula Police Chief Mark Muir told the Missoulian that officers did follow up on his mother’s concerns and that Peterson denied that he was thinking about killing himself.
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