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The family of Lt. Tallas Tomeny have filed a lawsuit against Deputy Randall Butler and the Sheriff's Department.. Phelps the other soldier wounded in the confrontation has also filed a suit against the deputy and the Sheriff's Department.
Deputy Butler was cleared during the investigation by the GBI and by the Military investigation. Apparently the ruling was "accidental death."
There was no substantiation that Lt. Tomeny attempted to take the deputy's weapon. In fact the deputy sprayed mace at Tomeny which caused Tomeny to back up in apparent pain. When Phelps jumped out of the truck to assist, this caused the deputy (Butler's words) to believe that he was in danger due to being outnumbered, and aware of the two "machine guns" he had discovered. Butler fired at Tomeny first, killing him and then fired at Phelps striking him twice in the chest.
I have drawn conclusions based on statements that have been released. But my conclusions mean nothing, I just hope justice is served in the civil courts.
I recall that we have a member on this site that was a classmate of these soldiers at the "Q"
I guess we were posting at the same time!
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