Former police sergeant, Frank Caridi, who attempted to thwart the Bourke St massacre by warning his bosses of James Gargasoulas’ murderous intentions, has launched a high stakes legal battle against Victoria Police.
According to the Herald Sun, Mr Caridi is suing his former employer for negligence claiming he continues to suffer nightmares and post-traumatic stress disorder, and will never work again as a result.
In a statement of claim lodged in the County Court this week, Mr Caridi said he has been unable to work since the January 2017 tragedy in which six people were killed and 27 were injured after Gargasoulas deliberately drove his car into the busy CBD mall.
READ MORE: Coroner hands down findings on Gargasoulas’ 2017 Bourke Street rampage.
Mr Caridi, 56, told the Herald Sun he believes lives would have been saved if his calls to arrest Gargasoulas – over the attempted stabbing murder of his brother the night before – had been acted on earlier.
Instead, he said he was given “ridiculous excuses’’ as to why the critical incident response team (CIRT) would not respond.
“I know the outcome would have been different and lives would have been saved had we acted earlier,’’ Mr Caridi told the Herald Sun.
Court documents state Mr Caridi was aware that Gargasoulos was “erratic, psychotic and had the propensity to cause injury or death” if not immediately arrested, the Herald Sun reports.
Mr Caridi claims Victoria Police was negligent in failing to act upon and disregarding his warnings and he has suffered anxiety and depression as a consequence.
Mr Caridi also said he was treated poorly by Victoria Police in the lead up to giving evidence to the Coronial Inquest into the Bourke St rampage, and has been targeted and vilified for not protecting the “brotherhood” of the police force.
He is claiming compensation for damages and loss of future earnings.
Source: Herald Sun.
