The mother of a man killed by a St. John police officer in January is suing the department.
In a federal lawsuit filed Oct. 3, Sherri Perkins alleged excessive and “unnecessary deadly” force, saying a responding officer failed to deescalate the situation when her son was having a mental health “episode.”
It also alleges officers violated his rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Her son Brandon Perkins, 40, was diagnosed with multiple mental health issues, including paranoid schizophrenia, but hadn’t hurt his parents or the police before, according to filings.
The St. John Police Department did not respond for a request for comment. The Lake County Sheriff’s Department declined comment.
Around the time, Brandon was struggling after he had his medication changed, including more mental health episodes, religious delusions, and a decreased appetite as he was losing weight and becoming physically weaker.
On Dec. 16, police responded after he had a “computer issue.” They took him to the hospital for mental health treatment. He was diagnosed with “acute psychosis.” Officers told staff he would go to the inpatient unit at the jail for treatment. He was later released without charges.
A month later — on Jan. 15 — he had another episode about his weight and a computer password. It was serious enough for his parents — concerned he was off his medication — to call their other son for help.
When police arrived near 93rd Avenue and Julia Drive, the interaction was recorded on body cameras.
Brandon put on a weighted vest and picked up 10-pound free weights, or dumbbells. Going down the stairs, he accidentally hit his mother with one weight. He started becoming delusional about “religious topics.”
The brother called 911 at 11:20 a.m.
My “brother absolutely needs mental help,” he told the dispatcher.
Responding police were told he was having a “mental disorder,” was off his medication for over a month, and schizophrenic.
William Perkins, Brandon’s father, told Officer Colin Studer that he was “panicked and paranoid,” carrying the weights and was “going to kill the whole world.” Studer said he’d talk to him.
Brandon was 3-to-4 feet away from Studer and the interaction was peaceful.
Officer Christopher Widen arrived shortly after. Studer told him to “get less lethal.” Widen called for backup.
Widen yelled for Brandon to stop, filings show. As the officers walked backwards, Brandon walked toward them, carrying the weights near his hips and wasn’t threatening the officers.
“Stop right now, stop right now, dude,” Widen said.
The lawsuit alleges Widen didn’t use a stun gun, or warn he would shoot.
“You’re not going to (expletive) hit me with that, dude,” Widen said, before he raised a gun and shot Brandon twice in the chest just before 11:30 a.m., the lawsuit alleges.
Studer never drew his gun. Filings allege Brandon was about eight feet from Widen. After he was shot, Widen ordered him on the ground and to turn on his stomach.
“Officer Widen had been on scene for less than a minute and outside of his vehicle for only 43 seconds when he shot Brandon,” according to the lawsuit.
“(He) was…coming at me with two…dumbbells, dude,” Widen said afterwards.
Sherri Perkins alleged the officers ignored them. They were prevented from riding in the ambulance to the hospital.
“Sir, is anybody going to talk to us,” she asked. “They didn’t kill him did they? Did they kill him? Can someone talk to me?”
Later, a detective told dispatch — “our guys are okay… that’s all that matters.”
