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'They treated my son like he was an animal': Earl Moore Jr's mom expresses frustration at paramedics

Earl Moore Jr's legal team wants the two Illinois paramedics charged with his death, to be held responsible
PUBLISHED JAN 20, 2023
Peter Cadigan, 50, and Peggy Finley, 40, are accused of killing Earl Moore Jr, 35 (Sangamon County Police/ CBS Evening News/Screengrab)
Peter Cadigan, 50, and Peggy Finley, 40, are accused of killing Earl Moore Jr, 35 (Sangamon County Police/ CBS Evening News/Screengrab)

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS: Earl Moore Jr, allegedly died due to mishandling by two paramedics who are being held in Sangamon County Jail. Recently, the mother of the victim has come out and expressed her frustration with the way her son was treated by first responders, Peter Cadigan, 50, and Peggy Finley, 40.

"They treated my son like he was an animal,” said Rosena Washington. Their legal team, including civil rights attorney Ben Crump, wants the two Illinois paramedics charged with his death, to be held responsible, as they filed a wrongful death lawsuit on Thursday, January 19. In the lawsuit, the family is also suing Lifestar Ambulance Service, along with their two employees.

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Cadigan and Finley, joined through a video link from jail as they appeared before the court for killing the 35-year-old man by strapping him so tightly facedown on a stretcher, resulting in his death due to suffocation. "Sit up. Sit up. Now," Finley can be heard saying in the video captured by the police body camera. "I am not playing with you tonight. Sit up." Finley and Cadigan were the first two paramedics to respond to Moore’s home in Springfield after the victim called 911. The footage also shows one instance when Fenley is dragging him across the floor. And once they were all outside, Cadigan appeared to place Moore on his stomach on a gurney.

The incident has raised questions about the behavior of the paramedics who are supposed to save lives. Meanwhile, both parties are claiming that the police video reflects their side. "When you look at that video, the reason it's so shocking is because they offer Earl no consideration," Ben Crump, the Moore family's attorney said.

On the contrary, W. Scott Hanken, Finley's attorney, said the video is clear enough that shows no crime was committed. "It's tragic," said Hanken. "A lot of tragic things happen in life. They are not necessarily criminal." Edward Unsell, Cadigan’s attorney weighed in too, “I don't see where the probable cause exists that a crime has occurred. But ordinarily, even when you have such a tragedy as the death of Mr Moore, ordinarily the venue for these would be, as Crump has filed, as a wrongful death case.”

A defense attorney closely working on the case said that they are confident that the court will make a decision in their favor and even said that if the prosecutors won’t play the body cam video, they would, as per CBS NEWS. Both accused are currently held in jail, with each on a $1 million bond against them.

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