CAN YOU SMELL A LAWSUIT BEING PREPARED?

The family of Angilo Freeland came to Bartow Thursday to pick up the remains of their loved one, and called an afternoon news conference in Tampa to ask Governor Jeb Bush to appoint an independent investigator to look into the circumstances surrounding his death last Friday. Currently the Polk County Sheriff's Office and Florida Department of Law Enforcement are conducting an investigation into the situation.

Freeland is the man who shot and killed Polk County Sheriff's Deputy Vernon "Matt" Williams and his K-9 partner Diogi, also wounding Deputy Doug Spiers following a routine traffic stop on the outskirts of Lakeland.

After an intense manhunt lasting around 20 hours, Freeland was shot dead after he reportedly failed to obey an officer's command to show his hands. He had the dead officer's service revolver, and nine officers shot him 68 times.

Apparantly, the family has serious doubts as to wheather the PCSO and the hundreds of law enforcement officers involved in the search really wanted to capture Freeland alive, deciding instead on a course of "mob justice". And they are apparantly questioning the fact that the fugitive was shot so many times.

The family was represented at an afternoon press conference by prominent St. Petersburg attorney Grady C. Irvin. Although he says he is not being compensated for his work with the family, you and I both should know that a lawyer of Irvin's stature doesn't get involved in this type of case unless there's a potential huge payday and/or headlines. Among the clients he has represented are former National Baptist Convention USA president Henry J. Lyons, former Florida State quarterback Adrian McPherson, and former Baylor University basketball player and convicted murderer Carlton Dotson.

I say that by the end of October you'll read about a big money lawsuit being filed in Polk County Circuit Court against the PCSO...bet on it.