CASE BACKGROUND: In the case of Ostling vs. Bainbridge Island, jurors in U.S. District court are wrestling with two conflicting viewpoints: either two Bainbridge Island police officers were just doing “the best they could under the circumstances,” in responding to Douglas Ostling’s home in October 2010, or they caused a “preventable death that would’ve been avoided if they’d followed their own policy manual.”
The case, having been ongoing three weeks now, is set to wrap up this week. Kitsap Sun Reporter Tristan Baurick will be in court Tuesday and Wednesday covering the testimony, which you can follow live below.
I climbed ladder that SPD refused, to check my house! How can BIPD stop u climb your own ladder at your own house to check on your own son?
Is today the 30th not being covered live?
I was wondering that very same thing. I thought everything said they would be covering today’s events via live blog but I see nothing on here.
@Kassel:
Please read the entire case before posting.
@Andrew: maybe you can enlighten me! My situation with SPD was also a crime scene which I DID read on the blog SWAT and BIPD used to remove Ostling parents from house. But in previous docs I have seen mention that William Ostling wanted to climb ladder to check on his son. WHO refused him and seems this was not made a big point in trial. If it was my son I would have told police, OK shoot me too as I climbed the ladder since I doubt police has the right to stop you on your own property??? Maybe I am wrong but seems plaintiff should have made this point if I am even half-right??
You are correct, there was little to no mention of who actually prevented William from using the ladder, probubally because he could not remember and failed to name a specific officer in his testimony (as well as confusing the names of the two responding officers and their locations during the shooting as proven by ballistics evidence.) Police officers are within their rights to prevent you from entering your property if they have reason to believe doing so may endanger you or compromise a crime scene. What were the circumstances of your ladder climbing with SPD?
I could be cynical but is it possible KS is skipping the live blog so they can put their slant on it before posting verdict? Where is the journalism?
Yes it will be interesting to hear what is said,, I was hoping to hear closing from both sides after all testimonies…
Hi Dick,
I was hoping we’d be able to live blog from the trial too. Unfortunately, our reporter in court could not get his computer to connect to the internet. We’re not happy about it, but Tristan will have a full story about it for kitsapsun.com later today and for the Kitsap Sun’s Thursday edition.
I’m thrilled that people enjoy the live blogs, and I’m sorry to disappoint those who’ve come to read them. As the courts reporter here at the Sun, I can tell you we will work through this issue and continue live blogging. For today, we’ll have to go back to the old fashioned way of reporting.
-Josh
@ Andrew: I don’t think it is that clear since this is “partly” one question for jury to decide unless the judge changes the jury questions proposed by Pla/Def? SPD refused to climb ladder to check on homeless people that had invaded my old vacant house in Seattle so I climbed it and told them I would sue them if the homeless people harmed me. What do you think I would have done if my child had been shot 5 minutes after police arrive!!! BIPD need to be taught about the Stockhom syndrome where police waited out bankrobbers with kidnaped victims two week and nobody died!
I have a hard time believing your reporter could not connect to the internet. I was there. No one else seemed to have that problem.
I question your statement’s validity.
Everyone else seemed to be connected to the internet yesterday. Could there be some other motive for not sharing the closing statements?
Mary,
You have every right to question and you may choose to believe me or not. Unfortunately, it did not have anything to do with courthouse access to the internet, but rather a problem on his computer.
We are in agreement that we both wish that the live blogging had worked out yesterday. But this is a new arena for us (live blogging’s only been around a couple years) and unfortunately technical problems may still arise.
Tristan did produce a story from the closing arguments, though, which you can read here: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/may/30/ostling-family-asks-jury-for-up-to-5-million/
Thanks for your comment.
Josh