FAMILY OF DEPUTY KILLED IN SHOOTOUT FILES CLAIM AGAINST COUNTY

JEROME -- The family of a Jerome County Sheriff's Department deputy
killed during a Jan. 3 shootout in Eden has demanded $5 million in
damages from the county, claiming the sheriff's department and
Sheriff Jim Weaver acted recklessly and dangerously when serving a
search warrant.

The tort claim, filed on June 29 by B. Newal Squyres of Holland and
Hart law offices in Boise on behalf of the family of Cpl. Phillip
Anderson, is the third multi-million-dollar claim against Jerome
County in the wake of the shooting.

Anderson, 23, and his partner, Cpl. James Moulson, 30, were killed in
the shootout at the Eden home of George Timothy Williams the night of
Jan. 3, while attempting to serve a search warrant for illegal drugs
at Williams' home.

Williams, 47, a suspected drug dealer, was also killed during the
fight. About 4 grams of marijuana were found in Williams' home after
the raid.

Moulson's family filed a $2.4 million claim against Jerome County and
Weaver on May 16. Williams' family filed a $10 million claim against
the county on April 10. That claim also names Weaver and Roberts.

No settlement has been reached on either claim.

According to state law, a county has 90 days to either approve or
deny a claim. A claim is deemed to be denied if the county fails to
act on it after 90 days.

Anderson's family has refrained from public comment since the shooting.

Weaver has spoken publicly only twice about the shooting since it
happened. In a press conference a week after the shooting and in his
statements to police, Weaver said Williams fired on the deputies as
they entered his home.

Nance Strickland, spokeswoman for Weaver and the Jerome County
Sheriff's Department, said she was not aware of the Andersons' claim
and had no comment Thursday.

Messages left for Weaver were not returned.

The Anderson family claim also names Mary Ann Taylor. Taylor was
living with Williams at the time of his death. Taylor, who worked as
a confidential informant for the now-defunct Magic Valley Drug Task
Force, apparently told Weaver and Jerome County Undersheriff Jocelyn
Roberts the afternoon of Jan. 3 that Williams had a large amount of
marijuana in his home the night of Jan. 2.

Based on that information, Weaver and his deputies moved in on Williams.

According to the claim, Weaver, acting on information from Taylor --
an informant with "questionable reliability" -- sought and obtained
the search warrant.

"At the time the search warrant was obtained, Sheriff Weaver and
Jerome County officers/agents knew that Mr. Williams had recently
acquired several guns and armed himself, because of past acts of
violence involving Mr. Douglas Norgard, the ex-boyfriend of Ms.
Taylor," the claim says. Norgard and Williams had gotten into a fist-
fight about three weeks before the shooting, according to police
records. "Sheriff Weaver and Jerome County officers/agents also knew
(or should have known) that Mr. Williams was in fear for his life and
was armed and dangerous."

Further, the claim says that in executing the search warrant, Weaver
sent two of his "youngest and most inexperienced deputies," Moulson
and Anderson, into Williams' home to serve the search warrant and
that "by knowing and intentionally ordering Phillip Anderson to enter
a dangerous and life-threatening situation, the Sheriff's Office is
responsible for his death."

"The Sheriff intentionally and recklessly chose this dangerous and
unnecessary course of action without regard for the safety of his
men, when he knew that Mr. Williams was armed and feared for his
life," the claim says.

No charges were ever filed against anyone in the case.

The Times-News has, on numerous occasions, attempted to reach Taylor.
Those attempts have been unsuccessful.

Taylor has not spoken publicly since the shooting. Her whereabouts are unknown.

The Anderson family claim asks for $2 million in economic damages,
$1.5 million in non-economic losses for Dale Anderson, Phillip
Anderson's father, and $1.5 million in non-economic damages for
Anderson's family.

Patrick D. Brown, attorney for Williams' family, said Thursday that
his clients' claim will likely turn into a lawsuit.

The settlement deadline for that claim is July 9, while the
settlement deadline on Moulson's lawsuit is Aug. 14.