A recent ruling allows the family of Omar Zulueta Jr. to pursue punitive damages in a wrongful death lawsuit against St. Louis University and security officer Steven G. Roy, according to Ben Crump Law’s announcement. The ruling does not mean that a jury has found either defendant liable or awarded the family money. It means the family may ask a jury to consider punitive damages as the case proceeds.
Zulueta, a 36-year-old father, was fatally shot by a university security officer in June 2021. His mother, Dorothy Slaughter, filed the wrongful death lawsuit in St. Louis Circuit Court in April 2024. Ben Crump Law and co-counsel Phillip Georges have been retained to represent the family.
What does the lawsuit allege?
According to Ben Crump Law’s announcement, Slaughter’s lawsuit alleges negligence and failures by St. Louis University to properly hire, train, and supervise its security officer. The petition alleges that Roy shot Zulueta with reckless indifference to and conscious disregard for his life.
Those are allegations in a civil lawsuit. The officer’s conduct, the university’s responsibility, and any damages remain matters for the litigation to resolve.
The case raises two related questions: whether the officer’s use of force gives rise to liability, and whether the university’s own decisions about hiring, training, supervision, or deploying an armed officer contributed to the death. Families facing a similar situation can read more about when an employer may face a lawsuit after a security officer’s fatal shooting.
What did the court allow the family to seek?
Ben Crump Law reports that the court allowed the family to pursue punitive damages against Roy and St. Louis University. The firm says the order addresses potential claims against the university based on both the officer’s actions and the university’s own conduct.
Missouri law sets a demanding standard for punitive damages. Under Missouri Revised Statutes § 510.261, a claimant must ultimately prove the required conduct by clear and convincing evidence. The statute also sets conditions for seeking punitive damages based on an employee’s actions. Permission to add or pursue the claim is a procedural step; it is not a finding that the family has met its burden at trial.
Punitive damages are separate from compensation for losses caused by a death. Our companion guide explains what compensation may be available after a fatal security officer shooting, including why the evidence and applicable state law matter.
Why do hiring, training, and supervision matter?
A fatal encounter can require an examination of more than the final moments of a shooting. Relevant questions may include what an employer knew about an officer’s qualifications, what training the officer received, how the employer supervised armed personnel, and whether a failure in those areas contributed to the death.
Those questions require evidence. Training records, employment files, written use-of-force policies, dispatch records, video, witness accounts, and expert analysis may all matter, depending on the circumstances. An allegation that training was inadequate does not, by itself, establish that an employer caused a particular death.
What happens next in the Omar Zulueta Jr. case?
The family can continue pursuing its wrongful death claims and its permitted punitive damages claims. The parties may contest the evidence and legal issues before trial, and the case could also resolve without a trial. No particular outcome is assured by the reported ruling.
Ben Crump Law represents Zulueta’s family in this matter and has broader experience with wrongful death claims. For readers trying to understand whether similar circumstances might support a claim, the next question is when an employer can be sued for a security officer’s fatal shooting.
Speak with Ben Crump Law
If your family lost someone after an encounter with an armed security officer and you have questions about the officer’s conduct or the employer’s decisions, preserve any video, messages, witness information, and other records you have. Ben Crump Law can review the circumstances and discuss possible legal options. Call 800-959-1444 or use the Ben Crump Law contact page.
A case review does not guarantee that a claim will be accepted or that compensation will be recovered.
