Chapin v. Brown
Sep 04, 2013OUTCOME: $2 Million Damages
The wrongful death award consists of $1 million dollars in compensatory damages and $1 million dollars in punitive damages awarded to the Estate of Gary Chapin and Mary Janis Chapin, the widow of slain ... Crawford County Corrections Officer Gary Chapin. Officer Chapin was killed in the line of duty as a result of an incident that occurred on October 13, 2010 with inmate Gregory Brown. As a result of that incident inmate Brown was criminally charged with third-degree homicide, aggravated assault, and assault by prisoner. A jury of seven men and five women found Brown not guilty of third-degree murder and not guilty of aggravated assault and assault by prisoner, but did find him guilty of involuntary manslaughter. In August 2012, Officer Chapin's widow filed a civil suit alleging negligence, assault and battery, wrongful death and loss of companionship in connection with the death of her husband. The civil suit sought damages for the medical expenses incurred for the month that Officer Chapin was in the hospital on life support before passing from his injuries, the loss of income as a result of his death, for the conscious pain and suffering of Officer Chapin prior to his death, and the loss of companionship experienced by his widow.
