AREAS OF PRACTICE

Critical Incident Response

The attorneys of Lyon, Gorsky, Haring & Gilbert, LLP respond to and represent police officers and fire fighters involved in critical incidents. Critical incidents include officer-involved shootings, deaths in custody (including inmate deaths), and serious accidents involving public employees. Lyon Gorsky attorneys have responded to over 500 critical incidents since 1982. It is believed that Bob Gorsky is one of the first attorneys in Texas to routinely respond to critical incidents involving law enforcement officers.

If you are member of the Dallas Police Association, the Texas Municipal Police Association, or the Texas DPS Officers Association one of our experienced attorneys is available to you immediately. You can reach one of Lyon Gorsky’s critical-incident-response attorneys immediately by dialing 1-800-711-BLUE (2583).

With everyone worried about the suspect’s rights, the victim’s rights and the agency’s liability, who is worried about your rights as an officer involved in a shooting, serious accident, inmate death or other critical incident? Is it your employing agency, whose primary objective is to escape liability? Is it the local District Attorney’s Office, who make career advancements prosecuting cops? The truth is the only one looking out for you in a critical incident is your representative.

When a critical incident does occur, the most important and first thing that should be done is to contact an attorney who represents officers in critical incidents. Now is not the time to call your brother-in-law the attorney.

The reason this is the first thing that should be done is most critical incidents occur at night and to get an attorney out to the scene is going to take at least an hour depending on your location and from where the attorney is rolling. Every shift should have a primary and secondary person who is responsible for contacting an attorney in a critical incident. While waiting for the attorney you should pick a representative to look out for your rights. Hopefully you have someone available who has a working knowledge of the Public Safety Officer's Bill of Rights. The 60 to 90 minutes you are waiting for your attorney are the most important. When officers get in trouble it is usually from something they do or say in this 60 to 90 minute window.