THIRD TORT CLAIM FILED IN JEROME COUNTY SHOOTING

Family Of Deputy Killed In Eden Seeks $5 Million

JEROME -- The family of a Jerome County sheriff's deputy killed during a
January shootout in Eden is seeking $5 million in damages from the county,
claiming that the sheriff's department and Sheriff Jim Weaver acted
recklessly and dangerously in serving a search warrant for illegal drugs.

The tort claim, filed on June 29 by Boise attorney Newal Squyres on behalf
of the family of Cpl. Phillip Anderson, is the third multimillion-dollar
claim against Jerome County in the wake of the shooting.

Anderson, 23, a former Meridian resident who attended Kuna schools, and
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 at Williams' home.

Williams, 47, a suspected drug dealer, also was killed during the fight.
About 4 grams of marijuana was 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 Jerome County Undersheriff Jocelyn 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 before a lawsuit may be filed.

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

Nance Strickland, a spokeswoman for Weaver and the Jerome County Sheriff's
Department, said she was unaware of the Andersons' claim and had no comment
on 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. She also was working as a
confidential informant for the now-defunct Magic Valley Drug Task Force,
and apparently told Weaver and Roberts 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.

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 fistfight 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."