Montana County and Victim’s Family Reach $1.25M Settlement in Police Shooting

In May 2017, the family of a Huntley, Montana man killed by two Yellowstone County Sheriff’s deputies agreed to a settlement of $1.25 million. The victim, Loren Simpson, was 28 in 2015 when former deputies Jason Robinson and Christopher Rudolph responded to a reported burglary. The deputies fired at least 24 shots at Simpson, although, according to a U.S. District Court judge, there was no proof Simpson had committed any crime.

NPAP member attorney Nathan Wagner, of Datsopoulos, MacDonald & Lind, P.C., represented the estate of Loren Simpson. “No amount of money can bring Loren back or take away the suffering that his family has endured over the last two and a half years,” Wagner told a local television station. “This settlement will allow the family to heal and to move forward with their lives. At the same time, we hope this settlement helps motivate law enforcement agencies to halt the use of military weapons and tactics for routine traffic stops like the one that resulted in Loren’s death.”