Security officer sued in death of shoplifting suspect in Henderson

The household of a shoplifting fishy who was fatally stabbed successful January outside a Henderson section store filed a wrongful decease suit this week against the information serviceman accused of sidesplitting him.

On Jan. 31, Ian Cullison was fatally stabbed by a information serviceman extracurricular a Dillard’s astatine Henderson’s Galleria astatine Sunset mall, 1320 W. Sunset Road. The information officer, identified successful the suit arsenic Sanford Davis, has not been charged successful transportation with Cullison’s death, tribunal records show.

The Henderson Police Department antecedently has said the information serviceman stabbed Cullison aft Cullison brandished a knife. However, the civilian ailment does not bespeak that Cullison had a knife, and alleges that Davis attacked the 34-year-old “without provocation oregon cause.”

Attempts to scope the Cullison household and Davis were unsuccessful, and the lawyer for Cullison’s household did not respond to a petition for comment.

According to the complaint, a Dillard’s worker saw Cullison concealing respective pairs of pants wrong a duffel container and permission the store. The worker past told Davis, who was the on-site information defender employed by Allied Universal Security Services.

Davis ran aft Cullison, who was “not reported to beryllium acting successful an assertive oregon threatening manner,” the suit states. Once helium caught up to Cullison, Davis pulled a weapon and took respective steps toward Cullison, who backed away.

The information serviceman stabbed Cullison successful the thorax portion grabbing the duffel container from his hand. Davis began walking backmost toward Dillard’s without calling for help, according to the complaint.

“After taking a fewer stuttering steps, Ian fell to the ground, bleeding profusely,” the suit states.

Davis walked backmost to Cullison and utilized his vigor to telephone for help, but helium did not effort to halt the bleeding oregon “take immoderate different life-saving measures,” according to the document. Instead, the ailment states, Davis began digging done the duffel container and removing immoderate items.

First responders arrived astatine the country much than 5 minutes aft Cullison was stabbed, the suit states. Cullison was taken to Henderson Hospital, wherever helium died.

The Clark County coroner’s bureau ruled his decease a homicide owed to a stab coiled of the chest.

The lawsuit, which names Davis, Allied Universal Security Services, Dillard’s and the promenade arsenic defendants, indicates that Cullison’s household is seeking astatine slightest $30,000 successful damages. It was filed Wednesday successful District Court.

Allied released the pursuing connection Friday: “We nonstop our deepest condolences to the victim’s household and loved ones. Allied Universal takes each lawsuits seriously, but we are incapable to remark connected pending litigation.”

Dillard’s and the promenade did not respond to a petition for comment.

The suit besides claims that the information company, Dillard’s and the promenade bash not person “sufficient and wide policies” regarding the usage of unit to apprehend suspected shoplifters.

“Given Davis’s propensity to usage unit and excessive force, Universal, Dillard’s and (the mall) knew oregon should person known that terrible wounded oregon decease would occur,” the ailment alleges.

Contact Katelyn Newberg astatine knewberg@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg connected Twitter.