Lawsuit: Police brushed off 911 calls before stabbing at Tulalip hotel

The lawsuit against Snohomish County and other defendants follows a February 2022 incident where Robert LeMasters knocked on Fred Burney’s hotel room door at the Quality Inn and attacked him with a knife, causing multiple stab wounds. Burney alleges that police were aware of LeMasters' deteriorating mental health but failed to respond adequately despite numerous 911 calls from his ex-wife reporting his violent behavior and drug use. The lawsuit criticizes the police for not assessing the situation or contacting crisis responders, as required by their policies. When two Tulalip police officers arrived several hours later, their brief interaction with LeMasters was insufficient and misleading, leading to a false belief that the crisis was being managed. The negligence of law enforcement and hotel management is cited as a significant factor in the escalation that led to the stabbing.

Following the attack, LeMasters lost consciousness and died at the scene, with the medical examiner attributing his death to a combination of physical restraint and cardiac arrest. This incident highlights the urgent need for improved crisis intervention strategies for individuals in mental health distress. Burney's lawsuit seeks to hold accountable those entities that failed to protect him from the attack.