Tacoma Police Chief Tragedy Costly

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By By KOMO Staff & News Services

Summary

Costs to city already hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Story Published: Aug 11, 2003 at 3:20 AM PDT

Story Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 1:08 AM PDT

Tacoma Police Chief Tragedy Costly
TACOMA - City costs related to the Brame tragedy are piling up.

The case has resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in lawyer fees, staff time and investigative expense, The News Tribune of Tacoma reported Sunday.

And that doesn't include costs related to the $75 million wrongful death claim filed against the city by the family of Crystal Brame, fatally wounded by her husband, Police Chief David Brame, last spring before he killed himself.

The city has retained seven law firms to work on various aspects of the case, the newspaper said. Many of the lawyers charge between $185 and $300 an hour.

The city sometimes hires outside law firms to work on certain cases. Still, seven outside legal contracts is unusual, chief assistant city attorney Elizabeth Pauli agreed.

Documents available to date show the city has paid or been billed about $130,200 under contracts with the law firms, Washington State Patrol and City Council liaison Douglas Aukland said.

Many of the statements are lagging a month behind, so more bills are en route.

And the $130,200 does not include costs for travel, lodging and meals for the ongoing investigation by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, or the $6,500 flat-fee contract with McMahon-Elliott Consulting for services to the city manager's office.

No one can predict how high lawyers' fees might go, particularly in defending the city against the wrongful death claim.

Some of the legal costs are controversial.

For example, the Human Resources Department hired a separate law firm for legal advice following a spat with the City Attorney's Office over exactly what transpired just before the Brame shootings.

The city also has incurred Brame-related expenses in pay and benefits:

  • Former City Manager Ray Corpuz received about $39,700 - about $31,000 in salary, plus $4,036 in vacation pay, roughly $1,724 in medical and dental insurance premiums and $2,909 in retirement-plan contributions - during his administrative leave from May 6-July 14.

    Corpuz placed himself on paid leave soon after the shooting when questions arose about his handling of promotion and personnel matters concerning Brame. The City Council terminated his employment July 14.

  • Assistant Police Chief Catherine Woodard received more than $51,300 from May 1 through Sunday - about $36,300 in salary or personal injury pay, plus $2,016 in vacation pay and roughly $13,000 in medical, dental and vision benefits.

    Corpuz placed Woodard on administrative leave pending an investigation into allegations she unlawfully aided Brame in his divorce proceedings.

    Woodard, one of the late chief's key appointees, is earning more than $500 per day in her fourth month of paid administrative leave. She applied for disability leave shortly after Corpuz placed her on administrative leave.

    The Tacoma Police Pension Board is considering whether to grant her disability request. Doing so could pave the way for tax-free disability retirement benefits, if Woodard can prove that her disability is duty-related.

    City officials would not disclose the nature of Woodard's claimed disability, but sources told The News Tribune it was stress.