The REAL POLICE FORUM is a leading community of police officers and law enforcement professionals. The forum includes police chat and restricted areas for police officers only. The ask-a-cop area allows you to ask questions to real police officers and only verified police are allowed to respond. REALPOLICE.com also features law enforcement jobs, news, training materials and expert articles.Norm357
09-09-04, 12:20 AM
link here (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,131830,00.html)
SEATTLE — The manufacturer and dealer of the rifle used in the Washington, D.C.-area sniper shootings (search) agreed Wednesday to pay $2.5 million in a settlement with victims and victims' families.
The settlement with Bushmaster marks the first time a gun manufacturer has agreed to pay damages to settle claims of negligent distribution of weapons, said Jon Lowy, a lawyer with the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence (search). He helped argue the case. He said the settlement with Bull's Eye Shooter Supply is the largest against a gun dealer.
"These settlements send a loud and clear message that the gun industry cannot turn a blind eye to how criminals get their guns," Lowy said.
Bushmaster Firearms (search) of Windham, Maine, agreed to pay $550,000 to eight plaintiffs. Bull's Eye Shooter Supply (search) of Tacoma, where the snipers' Bushmaster rifle came from, agreed to pay $2 million.
Kelly Corr, the attorney representing Bushmaster, said the company made "no admission of liability whatsoever."
He said Bushmaster and its insurance company, which will pay the $550,000, decided to settle rather than continuing to run up legal fees in court. Corr said the settlement will not change the way Bushmaster conducts business.
SEATTLE — The manufacturer and dealer of the rifle used in the Washington, D.C.-area sniper shootings (search) agreed Wednesday to pay $2.5 million in a settlement with victims and victims' families.
The settlement with Bushmaster marks the first time a gun manufacturer has agreed to pay damages to settle claims of negligent distribution of weapons, said Jon Lowy, a lawyer with the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence (search). He helped argue the case. He said the settlement with Bull's Eye Shooter Supply is the largest against a gun dealer.
"These settlements send a loud and clear message that the gun industry cannot turn a blind eye to how criminals get their guns," Lowy said.
Bushmaster Firearms (search) of Windham, Maine, agreed to pay $550,000 to eight plaintiffs. Bull's Eye Shooter Supply (search) of Tacoma, where the snipers' Bushmaster rifle came from, agreed to pay $2 million.
Kelly Corr, the attorney representing Bushmaster, said the company made "no admission of liability whatsoever."
He said Bushmaster and its insurance company, which will pay the $550,000, decided to settle rather than continuing to run up legal fees in court. Corr said the settlement will not change the way Bushmaster conducts business.