Girard man files 150,000 suit

WARREN -- A Girard man is suing the city of Girard for 150,000 in damages, alleging emotional distress.
Samuel Howard Jr., whose address is on Elruth Court but who is living in Atlanta, filed the suit in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court on Thursday.
Howard says he suffered by seeing his father in his Girard apartment, after his father had apparently attempted suicide.
The lawsuit says Howard called 911 on Nov. 14, 2004, to get help from the Girard police and fire departments to gain entrance to the home he shared with his father, Samuel Howard Sr.
The younger Howard, 17 at the time, entered the apartment first and discovered his father's body on a bed, having been shot in an apparent suicide attempt, the suit said. The elder Howard later died.
Police and emergency medical personnel failed to prevent the younger Howard from entering the apartment first, which indicated recklessness and a lack of proper training, the suit said.
The Girard fire chief and police chief could not be reached to comment.