Attorney Robert Daley of Robert Peirce & Associates, P.C. is representing the Hernandez family in a lawsuit filed against the Monroeville Police Department and several officers. Luis Hernandez was killed in 2022 during a Monroeville police chase that we argue violated public safety policies. The police’s negligence through violating these policies was the direct cause of his wrongful death, our claim hopes to prove. We are demanding justice and compensation for the Hernandez family, including the three children (now ages 17, 14, and 12) who Luis is survived by.
Details of the Fatal Police Chase
Monroeville police officers began a high-speed pursuit after Jack Sherwood on two outstanding warrants. Sherwood and the pursuing officers nearly reached 110 mph while traveling down William Penn Highway, which is often busy with traffic. Monroeville Police Chief Doug Cole and at least one of the pursuing officers thought about calling off the pursuit due to the extremely high speeds that were putting everyone in danger, including pedestrians and other motorists.
Before the decision to end the pursuit was made, Sherwood struck Luis Hernandez on his motorbike, which caused him to suffer fatal injuries. Sherwood was tried and convicted of homicide vehicle.
Holding Monroeville PD Liable
In the lawsuit Attorney Daley has brought on behalf of the Hernandez family, he argues that Monroeville PD should have called off the pursuit much sooner and before the officers violated established model vehicle pursuit policies by driving at such excessive speeds.
When the pursuit began, Jack Sherwood was not considered a suspect who would put the public at risk of “imminent death or bodily harm,” such as a murder or armed robbery suspect. Pursuing him at speeds around 107 mph down busy roads was not justified given the reasons why police wanted to arrest him.
Furthermore, Monroeville PD Chief Cole and an officer both acknowledged that they had considered calling the chase off. This acknowledgment reveals that they both knew it was too dangerous to continue the chase, especially given the details of Sherwood’s outstanding warrants, and yet neither officer made the call. Instead, they allowed the chase to literally race toward disaster and the loss of an innocent life.
Now, the Hernandez family has the burden of holding Monroeville PD liable through a lawsuit that demands justice for the late Luis Hernandez. Perhaps through this legal action, the police department will reexamine its pursuit policies and retrain its officers about when to safely engage or disengage with a fleeing suspect.
To learn more about this ongoing case, you can click here to read a full article from ABC 4 WTAE. To learn more about Attorney Daley or Robert Peirce & Associates, P.C., or to get our help with an injury or wrongful death claim, submit an online contact form at any time.