County dismisses wrongful death lawsuit related to fatal New Center shooting in 2023

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – Sevier County is denying allegations in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by a woman after her husband was killed in a police-involved shooting last year.

David Wright, 64, was shot and killed by a police officer on May 12, 2023. According to the district attorney, officers at the main entrance were told that the suspect they were looking for was coming out; instead, it was Wright.

In May, his widow, Vickie Wright, filed suit against Sevier County, the city of Sevierville and the officers involved, claiming she and her late husband were unarmed and had nothing in their hands, so they posed no threat to anyone.

The lawsuit alleges that the Wrights were deprived of the Fourth and Fifth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which include the right to be free from unreasonable use of force and the duty of a police officer to intervene and protect a citizen.

The answer, filed by the county, the city of Sevierville, and the officials involved, claims that Wright’s civil rights were not violated and denies the other allegations. The answer ends by stating that the defendants believe Wright lacks standing to file the lawsuit and that it should be dismissed. In addition, the officials invoke the “doctrine of qualified immunity as a defense to all claims asserted by Wright.”

The district attorney had previously announced that no charges would be filed against any of the officers in the shooting that killed David Wright. District Attorney James B. Dunn completed his review of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation file detailing the events during the shooting on August 4, 2023.