Nov. 26--CYPRESS, Calif. -- The wife of a Hawthorne Police officer killed while on duty has filed a $25 million lawsuit against the cities of El Segundo and Manhattan Beach.
Andrew Garton, 44, a motorcycle officer with the Hawthorne Police, collided with an El Segundo motorcycle officer during a funeral procession for a Manhattan Beach officer who had died of cancer.
Garton's wife claims that the negligent and reckless actions of both police departments led to her husband's death.
City officials still maintain that it was an unfortunate accident.
Garton was thrown from his bike into traffic after a collision with another officer near the intersection of Hawthorne and Sepulveda during a funeral procession on May 26.
Garton was part of the funeral procession for Manhattan Beach police officer Mark Vasquez who died after a battle with cancer.
The officers were engaged in what's called 'leapfrogging,' during which motor officers handling traffic control during funeral processions block traffic at alternating intersections.
Both officers were taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center where Garton, a 7-year veteran of the department, later died of his injuries.
Garton is the first Hawthorne police officer to be killed in the line of duty, Hawthorne police Chief Robert Fager said.
Unfortunately, during Garton's funeral procession a motorcycle officer from Cypress Police Department was also injured in a crash on Lincoln Avenue and Cobblestone Lane, two blocks away from the funeral.
The officer, who was monitoring traffic in the area for the procession, was on his way back to the station when he was hit by a pick-up truck around 5:30 p.m. after the motorcade ended.
He has been with the department for four years and has been a motorcycle officer for one, police sources said.
The woman driving the pick-up was not charged.
Copyright 2011 - KTLA-TV, Los Angeles
