Connecticut murder-suicide spurs $3M settlement in

domestic violence case

Estate Planning is really about comfort. What estate planning is all about is discovering the right
tools to implement your basic requirements. What that really means is that we utilize the most
sophisticated legal files to appropriately implement your desires. We customize each and every plan
so that you get precisely what you desire. We do this using the most up to date devices so that we
can prepare a personalized strategy at the most affordable possible cost. Kindly call us today with
any concerns.

HARTFORD, Conn. - A Connecticut city where police officers and dispatchers were accused of
negligence and ethnic discrimination in responding to a domestic violence case that became a
murder-suicide has agreed to settle a lawsuit by the victim's family for $3 million.
The estate of Turkish immigrant Shengyl Rasim sued the city of West Haven, two officers and two
dispatchers in 2011.
The 25-year-old Rasim was shot to death by her husband, 42-year-old Selami Ozdemir in the early
morning hours of Jan. 17, 2010, just hours after he posted bail Estate Planning and got out of jail. He
had been arrested the previous evening for a second domestic violence complaint against him in four
months. Ozdemir then killed himself. The couple's two young children were home but weren't
harmed.
Catherine Nietzel, a lawyer hired by the city, said police and the dispatchers made mistakes but
disputed that they were negligent or discriminatory. She said the city agreed to the settlement,
which will be paid by an insurer, because of the uncertainty of how a jury might interpret the facts.
The lawyer for Rasim's estate, Joel Faxon, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the settlement
is pending probate court approval. The city did not admit any wrongdoing, he said.
The case and several other killings spurred changes in state domestic violence laws, including
prohibiting people from posting surety bail with no money down and requiring domestic violence
offenders to surrender their firearms to police. Ozdemir got out of jail by posting $25,000 bail with
no money down through a bail bondsman.
"This specific case brought focus on just how quickly someone who is arrested on a domestic
violence charge can be released on bail," said Karen Jarmoc, executive director of the Connecticut
Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

The lawsuit alleged that dispatchers were warned

the night of the killing that Ozdemir was drunk,
armed and on his way back to the couple's home,
but didn't alert officers. Faxon said dispatch
recordings also showed officers and dispatchers
making derogatory comments about Rasim and
Ozdemir's ethnicity, but Nietzel denied that claim.
The series of events began at about 5:30 p.m. on
Jan. 16, when the couple's 6-year-old son called
911 to report that his father was hitting his
mother. Ozdemir was arrested, but quickly posted
bail.
Rasim called 911 at about 3:30 the next
http://www.investopedia.com/university/estate-pla
nning/ morning saying her husband was banging
on the door. A dispatcher sent an officer to the
home, but Ozdemir wasn't there. At about 3:45
a.m., a co-worker of Ozdemir called 911 to report
Ozdemir was drunk, angry and heading back to
the family's apartment, but a dispatcher didn't alert officers to that call, court records say.
Police received another 911 call from someone in the apartment at 3:52 a.m., when a dispatcher
heard an argument, gunshots and a baby crying.
Nietzel said the dispatcher made an "understandable" mistake not telling officers about the 911 call
from the co-worker - thinking that it was about the same situation and knowing police already were
at the scene. Nietzel said it also was unclear if Ozdemir hid and waited for officers to leave before
returning to the apartment and opening fire.
West Haven police found during an internal investigation that officers and dispatchers neglected
their duties and engaged in conduct unbecoming of department employees.
Named in the lawsuit were Officer Christopher Stratton IV, Sgt. Robert Urrata and dispatchers
Robert Guthrie and Frank Meyer. Police said Meyer committed suicide in Vermont in 2013 after
being charged in an alleged child sex slave case.
Faxon said the deceased couple's children are now living with relatives in Turkey. He said the
settlement is fair.
"The family is hopeful that out of this tragedy comes some change in how domestic violence cases
are handled," he said.
2015 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast,
rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/connecticut-murder-suicide-spurs-3-million-dollar-settlement-in-dome
stic-violence-case/

Finally, estate preparation has to do with peace of thoughts. The procedure itself is vital as well as
can aid you develop a good, strong working plan that will care for you, your youngsters, and also
your properties in case of your death or impairment.