On February 4, 2022, Deputy Steven Hatcher shot and killed Nicholas Rodin, a 35-year-old man experiencing a mental health crisis. Rodin had called 911, stating he had a gun and a knife and needed to be arrested before he hurt someone. During the encounter, Rodin, who was unarmed, defied multiple commands and reached toward his waistband, prompting Hatcher to fire two shots. A wrongful death lawsuit was filed against Hatcher and Crook County, alleging excessive use of force and failure to de-escalate the situation. In June 2024, a federal judge allowed the wrongful death claim to proceed to trial.
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