REALITY TV'RHOC' Alum Lydia McLaughlin to Sue Police Department Over Brother Geoff Stirling's Shocking Death
'RHOC' alum Lydia McLaughlin and her family are planning to sue the police department over her brother's death.
Real Housewives of Orange County alum Lydia McLaughlin is planning to pursue legal action after her brother was shot and killed by police officers.
Bodycam Footage Exposed
Bodycam footage showed Geoff Stirling refusing to sit down when a police officer asked him to.
On May 8, bodycam footage was released by the Newport Beach Police Department of Geoff Stirling being pulled over on his motorcycle in April. While Stirling got off of his motorcycle, things took a turn when the cops asked him to get on the ground.
"I don't care what you're telling me to do,” Stirling said. "I don't want to sit down.”
The police officer than called for backup, claiming Stirling was being uncooperative. He tried telling him he “ran a red light,” and they would “figure it out.”
Lydia McLaughlin revealed her brother was laid 'to rest' on May 5.
Stirling offered to show the cop his ID and begged him not to take his gun out, to which the officer replied, "I'm not going to shoot you. Don't reach for f------ s---. Sit down, we will figure it out.” When Stirling refused to sit and took a step toward his bike, the officer attempted to tackle him to the ground, resulting in the two getting into a wrestling match. The footage then noted Stirling took the cop’s taser gun and pointed it at his head, leading the officer to tell him to “drop” the taser. Immediately after, he fired six shots at Stirling, who was ultimately killed.
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The Family's Statement
Lydia McLaughlin and her family said the bodycam footage of Geoff Stirling 'raised serious concerns.'
“The videos have raised serious concerns and many questions about the actions of that police officer,” a statement McLaughlin and her two brothers provided in the wake of the footage being released said. “Of grave and specific concern is that the videos appear to show Geoff moving away from the officer at the time he was shot six times.”
They noted their family plans to “file a lawsuit in Federal Court,” with the goal of obtaining “full answers” and seeking “accountability.” They added Stirling was “experiencing a mental health crisis” when he was pulled over and was “unarmed” and “posed no deadly threat” to the officer.
“The cause of death was blood loss,” the statement continued. “Despite the presence of multiple officers reporting to the scene, no aid was initially offered. The family remains heartbroken and devastated that Geoff was taken from them in what appears to be an unjustified use of lethal force.”
“Equally tragic is that there may have been other options and tactics available to the officer that he failed to utilize based on his training," they concluded.
Laying Geoff to Rest
Geoff Stirling was 45 years old at the time of his death.
On May 6, McLaughlin shared they had “laid” Stirling, who was 45 years old at the time of his death, “to rest” a day earlier.
"Just six months ago, we stood in this same place, grieving the loss of my mom,” she wrote on Instagram. ”My heart is broken, and the shock still hasn’t settled. 💔 But even in the sorrow, I cling to what I know is true: God is good. He is in control. I am not. My brother is now with my mom, and I hold onto the promise that one day, we’ll all be reunited. Until then, I will miss them every single day.”
