SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A federal appeals court is refusing to revive an excessive force lawsuit from the family of a Utah doctor who killed himself after his arrest by federal agents in an artifact looting investigation.
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals decided Monday the Bureau of Land Management didn't use excessive force when agents dressed in body armor arrested James Redd in 2009.
Redd's family had argued it was unfair to overwhelm him at gunpoint at his house in the small town of Blanding, Utah.
A lawyer for the family says they're disappointed with the ruling and are still pursuing a separate lawsuit seeking damages in Redd's death.
The appeals court upheld a lower-court decision finding the mere presence of federal agents in SWAT-like gear wasn't unreasonable.
