Tatiana, a Siberian tiger, got loose at San Francisco Zoo and killed a San Jose teen.
Posted on 05/29/2009 12:54:16 PM PDT by SmithL
The San Francisco Zoo agreed Thursday to pay $900,000 to two brothers who survived the fatal attack by an escaped tiger on Christmas Day 2007, sources familiar with the case told The Chronicle.
The agreement with Kulbir, 25, and Amritpal "Paul" Dhaliwal, 20, resolves claims the brothers brought in U.S. District Court against the city, zoo and Sam Singer, a crisis public relations consultant the zoo hired after the attack, one source said.
Thursday's settlement comes less than two weeks after attorneys for the brothers filed court documents alleging that police officials had ordered officers to issue arrest warrants for the Dhaliwals, accusing them of manslaughter in the death of their friend, 17-year-old Carlos Sousa Jr. of San Jose, who was killed by the tiger.
Police command staff ordered the arrest warrants to deflect attention from the city's negligence and to intimidate the brothers, "even though they were informed that the investigation could not substantiate involuntary manslaughter charges, or any charges being brought against (the Dhaliwals)," attorneys Mark Geragos and Shelley Kaufman wrote in seeking to update the lawsuit to pursue more damages against the city.
At the time, zoo and city representatives suggested the three must have taunted the tiger before it jumped out of its enclosure. The brothers were never arrested nor charged with wrongdoing in connection with the tiger's escape.
City officials referred questions on the case to the zoo, where officials did not return calls seeking comment.
The Zoological Society earlier this year settled a lawsuit with the Sousa family for an undisclosed amount.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Once again the perps make out like bandits ...
Bad behavior = HUGE PAYOUT
The madness of American jurisprudence in a litigation crazed society.
So much for Bush’s Tort Reform. Remember that?
sounds like Armpit and brother won “ life’s lottery”.
They should allow the tiger’s relatives settle with them...
[At the time of the attack, both brothers were facing charges of public intoxication and resisting arrest after a Sept. 7, 2007, scuffle with San Jose police. They were later convicted.
Paul Dhaliwal also has a series of other criminal convictions, including one for leading police on a 140-mph chase through San Jose in April 2007.]
Great, now every punk in town is going to be heading to the local zoo, taunting the tigers, and hoping it results in a big payoff.
Lawyers 1/3 to 1/2 of the total devided by two minus medical expenses = pocket change.
Taunting tigers just isn’t a good business proposition.
So, you spend Christmas Day at the zoo, getting drunk, smoking marijuana and messing around with a tiger... and you end up receiving $900,000. Who says there’s no such thing as Santa Claus?
Was there any evidence the two actually taunted the tiger?
Even if they did, IMO, the zoo is 100% at fault for the tiger escaping and killing the other boy. If a tiger can jump out of the enclosure and attack members of the public, as a result of being “taunted”, couldn’t it just as easily jump out of the enclosure if it spotted a tasty looking 3 year old?
If zoo visitors taunt animals, they should be warned, ejected or arrested. However, the animals’ enclosures need to be secure enough to prevent the animals from escaping, reagardless of any taunting.
What a great business plan. Order more tigers!
Evolution has developed a new selection process.
I’m with you on this. Short of the men getting into the tiger’s enclosure they are totally blameless.
The guys made the tiger escape!!! Give me a break.
These young men may have unwittingly done the public a great favor. They exposed the inadequacy of the enclosure on a day with low public attendance, and no otherwise innocent people were hurt.
Imagine if a crowd of school children, predictably noisy, had attracted the attention of the tiger.
You are right. That said, no amount of acting out by the men could excuse what happened to them.
The brothers’ lawyer is Mark Geragos.
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