Victims Sue Officers and City of Cincinnati for Reckless and Dangerous High-Speed Chase that Killed Two People and Injured Two Others
Raymond and Gayle Laible were killed and Steven and Maribeth Klein were seriously injured when CPD Officers initiated a high-speed pursuit and failed to end the chase despite grave risk to the public
Campbell County, Kentucky (August 4, 2021) – The Estates of Raymond and Gayle Laible and Steven and Maribeth Klein filed suit today against the City of Cincinnati and CPD officers Timothy Lanter, Brett Thomas, and Donald Scalf, along with other parties.
The lawsuit attacks the reckless and dangerous high-speed chase, led by Lanter, through the streets of Cincinnati, Covington, and Newport on August 7, 2020 that resulted in the tragic deaths of Raymond and Gayle Laible and which caused severe injuries and trauma to Steven and Maribeth Klein.
On that date, Mason Meyer was under investigation. CPD officer Lanter began to tail him, and then turned on his lights and sirens. Meyer, who had been obeying traffic laws until that point, accelerated and began to flee. Lanter initiated a vehicle pursuit.
Thomas joined Lanter, and they pursued Meyer through busy streets during rush hour on a sunny Friday afternoon as pedestrians filled the sidewalks and outdoor eating areas. Lanter led the pursuit and Thomas followed. As the vehicles raced through Price Hill, onto the interstate, into the Banks, and then across the 4th Street Suspension Bridge into Covington, Meyer almost collided with an SUV, sideswiped another car, and nearly toppled a motorcyclist. The officers drove over 100 miles per hour, ran red lights, did not slow or stop at intersections, and drove the wrong way on one-way streets. Scalf, without inquiring about the road conditions, traffic, or speed of the chase, authorized the pursuit to continue into Kentucky.
Lanter and Thomas continued their pursuit of Meyer despite the obvious and extreme risks to public safety, and though it was not essential to apprehend Meyer at that moment. Their continued pursuit of Meyer led him to dangerously carry on fleeing police as he sped into downtown Newport.
When he reached the intersection of 5th Street and Monmouth Avenue, Meyer’s vehicle jumped the curb at high speed, striking Raymond and Gayle Laible, who had been dining on a sidewalk patio of Press, and throwing Steven and Maribeth Klein, who were walking on the sidewalk, several yards onto the concrete. The Laibles both died. The Kleins were seriously injured.
Lanter, Thomas, and Scalf failed to terminate the pursuit despite the outsize risk to the public, in violation of CPD policies and nationally-recognized policing best practices. Chief Isaac publicly acknowledged the inherent danger of police vehicle pursuits. Lanter has a history of unsafe driving, including initiating a 2011 pursuit that ended fatally for bystanders. Lanter has been involved in at least five other crashes while on duty, including multiple crashes where he was at fault. Yet the CPD handed down only minimal discipline for Lanter, Thomas, and Scalf for their roles in the deaths of the Laibles and serious injuries to the Kleins.
The Estates of Raymond and Gayle Laible are represented by attorneys at Friedman, Gilbert + Gerhardstein. The Kleins are represented by attorneys at Graydon. They are all working together in the lawsuit.
“Our family is heartbroken. We are shocked that the CPD allowed this chase to happen, and are horrified that these officers are still on the streets. We don’t want any other family to experience a loss as we have. The CPD has to make sure that its officers don’t needlessly cause the death of even one more person. We have seen Cincinnati police engage in too many reckless pursuits. We hope through this lawsuit to change that practice and make the city safer.”
“This pursuit was shockingly reckless, and violated not only CPD policies, but also common sense. There was no need to apprehend Meyer on that day—CPD knew where he lived and where he frequented and had other options for when and how to take him into custody. The risk to the public posed by this pursuit was obvious from the start, and became undeniable as the chase continued. Raymond and Gayle Laible’s deaths, and the injuries to Steven and Maribeth Klein, were completely preventable and absolutely, tragically unnecessary” states Jacqueline Greene, partner at Friedman, Gilbert + Gerhardstein. “This chase never should’ve been initiated, and it should have been called off long before the crash. CPD’s failure to acknowledge—and prevent—the extraordinary risk to the public created by these officers is utterly unacceptable,” said Greene.
Raymond and Gayle Laible were 81 and 80 at the time of their deaths. They were pillars of their family and very active in their community, and remained in love with each other and with living life fully until the time of their passing.
Steven and Maribeth Klein, a young couple with children, had their world turned upside down from their injuries and the trauma of the crash. They are focused on moving forward while caring for their family.