Lt. Erik Reeves is seen in this Chattanooga file photo.A federal civil trial set for a former public housing police officer in the 2009 shooting death of a 15-year-old boy likely will be delayed at least a couple of months after a new attorney took over the defense.
Lawyers for the victim’s mother and the Chattanooga Housing Authority met Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bill Carter to discuss expert witnesses and rescheduling the trial, which currently is set for December.
W. Lee Madux took over the case for the housing authority when the original attorney, Paul Krivacka, took a job with the state of Tennessee and had to turn over his caseload to others in the Nashville-based firm.
Madux told Carter that he and his law partner have a three-week trial scheduled for late November, which would overlap with the Dec. 10 start date for the trial.
In September 2009, Gloria Duncan filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Hamilton County Circuit Court seeking $2 million in damages for the shooting death of her son Alonzo O’Kelley by then-Chattanooga Housing Authority police Lt. Erik Reeves.