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MONTICELLO, San Juan County — Former members of the now overhauled Monticello Police Department are facing a federal lawsuit over delayed response to a 911 call regarding a former officer and his estranged wife.
Elizabeth Young, now divorced from ex-Monticello Police Sgt. Jesse Cole Young, and her boyfriend at the time, Nicholas Ketron, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court Thursday seeking compensation and punitive damages after Jesse Young admitted to breaking into his estranged wife's home and assaulting Ketron in December 2015. But officers from his department and a 911 dispatcher delayed sending help until the following morning.
The lawsuit claims Monticello police and city leaders failed to properly train Jesse Young, other members of law enforcement involved in the incident, and the police dispatcher, Sue Redd, in their respective responsibilities; and that Elizabeth Young and Ketron's due process rights were violated and they experienced emotional distress. The lawsuit also claims Jesse Young unlawfully entered his ex-wife's home and assaulted Ketron.
Jesse and Elizabeth Young were in the process of divorcing and were maintaining separate residences when Jesse Young returned to the home they had shared and came in using a key. Finding Ketron there, the lawsuit claims that Jesse Young threw the other man against the wall with enough force to damage the sheet rock and knock all items off the wall.
Young claims that she was frightened and believed her estranged husband was "out of control," and called 911. The police dispatcher who answered, Redd, "seemed unconcerned about Ms. Young's safety, and instead demanded to know whether her guest was male and what his name was," the lawsuit states.
Fearful, Elizabeth Young and Ketron left the house, according to the suit, and went to a pavilion at a nearby church to wait for police. No one came. After 30 minutes, Elizabeth Young called 911 again and Redd told her that because of the late hour, no one would be dispatched until morning.
Afraid to contact law enforcement again, Elizabeth Young and Ketron claim they spent the rest of the night in a vehicle in the mountains "to hide out."
Officers didn't arrive at the home until 10 a.m., delayed further because San Juan County Sheriff's Sgt. Joseph Harris refused to respond to the call, the lawsuit claims.
Redd and Monticello Police Chief Kent Adair chose not to respond to Elizabeth Young's call because of their relationship with Jesse Young, according to the lawsuit. Their conversation was recorded.
Elizabeth Young also alleges that Jesse Young had physically abused her prior to the incident, but that when her family presented Adair with photos documenting the alleged abuse, he did not instigate an investigation and allowed Jesse Young to continue in his role as a police officer.
The lawsuit also claims that in July 2016, Jesse Young sold possessions from Elizabeth Young's home at a yard sale, even though she had told him that the items still in her home were her property and she did not want them sold. When Elizabeth young contacted Monticello Police Chief Clayton Black, the chief told her that the items were communal and that law enforcement would not assist her, the lawsuit claims.
Also named in the lawsuit are Monticello City Manager Ty Bailey and San Juan County Administrator Rick Bailey. No hearings have been scheduled in the case.
Jesse Young pleaded guilty in March to reduced charges of burglary, a third-degree felony, and assault with substantial bodily injury, a class A misdemeanor. The former officer originally faced a charge of aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony. He was sentenced in May to 10 days in jail and one year of probation.
The Monticello City Council later voted to fire Adair, who had been with the department for 30 years. Harris was demoted to the rank of deputy and suspended for 30 days without pay. Redd was demoted and suspended for 30 days.
