State police sued over fatal roadside shooting by trooper

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. (AP) - The widow of an Indiana man who was fatally shot by a state trooper while working on his daughter's car filed a lawsuit Monday, alleging unjustified deadly force.

Glenn Rightsell, 56, of Linden was killed about a year ago while working under the hood of a stalled vehicle along U.S. 231 in Montgomery County, about 40 miles northwest of Indianapolis.

Investigators said Trooper Daniel Organ believed Rightsell had violated his orders and reached for a gun. No charges were filed against the trooper.

'œWhen you have a private citizen who does nothing wrong and is deprived of the right to go home and have dinner with his family and live life, I think you have an obligation to call it out and say that's unacceptable,'ť said Bruce Kehoe, an attorney for Gloria Rightsell.

State police declined to comment on the lawsuit.

The Journal and Courier reported that the lawsuit also accuses Organ and local officers of delaying medical care that might have saved Rightsell.

'œEvery day, I wake up and it's a nightmare,'ť Gloria Nightsell said.