McCleary loses police lawsuit

Trial: City to appeal $250,000 award for allegation that police failed to warn wife of husband's threats

JEREMY PAWLOSKI; The Olympian | • Published September 29, 2009

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A jury has ordered the city of McCleary to pay a local woman $250,000 based on her allegation that a McCleary police officer failed to warn her about her husband's threat against her life several months before he attempted to kill her.

The Grays Harbor County jury reached its verdict recently at the end of a jury trial. Attorney John Justice, who represented McCleary at trial, said in a phone interview Monday that his client intends to appeal.

According to Tamara Quimby�s lawsuit:

On Oct. 26, 2006, Quimby exited the shower in her McCleary home and her husband, Kevin Quimby, confronted her and told her �it�s all over, it�s time for you to die.�

�Mr. Quimby then proceeded to grab Tamara Quimby around the neck and shoved her face in the mirror and told her to �watch yourself die,�� the suit states. �He strangled her until she became unconscious.�

Quimby�s son later came home and he called 911. Tamara Quimby has recovered from her injuries.

�Prior to the night in question, Tamara Quimby had no idea that Mr. Quimby wanted to kill her,� the suit states.

Prior to the attack, McCleary Police Officer John Graham had received a call from a McCleary resident who told him that �on numerous occasions� Kevin Quimby had told her that he was going to kill Tamara Quimby, then himself.

�She relayed all of this information to Officer Graham and asked Officer Graham to warn Tami Quimby.�

Officer Graham subsequently went to the Quimby residence and discussed the alleged threats with Kevin Quimby. Tamara Quimby was not at the residence at the time. �Quimby assured Graham that he would not hurt his wife, but indicated that he was very depressed,� reads the suit.

�Officer Graham failed to warn Tamara Quimby of the threats her husband had made to kill her,� the suit states.

The amended complaint was filed in June in Grays Harbor County by Montesano attorney Stephen Olson.

McCleary Police Chief George Crumb said in a phone interview Monday that Graham is still employed with the police department. He is a sergeant, according to the city�s Web site. Crumb said Graham went �above and beyond� what he was required to do by going to the Quimby�s home to talk to Kevin Quimby after learning of the alleged threat against Tamara Quimby.

�The officer did nothing wrong,� Crumb said.

A threat to kill falls under the criminal harassment statute � a gross misdemeanor.

Crumb said the alleged threat against Tamara Quimby was made while Kevin Quimby and the woman he had confided in were drinking in a bar. Crumb said the woman did not report the incident to McCleary police until three weeks after the alleged threat was made.

Jeremy Pawloski: 360-754-5465

jpawloski@theolympian.com