Woman sues police who defended her

Tuesday, Feb. 29, 2000 | 12:29 p.m.

A woman who called police for help in a domestic dispute is suing Las Vegas Metropolitan Police for at least $1 million in her husband's death.

Tammie Payton filed the wrongful death lawsuit in U.S. District Court here.

Payton called police in February 1998 when she and her husband, Eric Payton, got into an argument at their home.

She called police a second time when he later returned and appeared to be under the influence of cocaine.

Tammie Payton says she called police because she wanted to scare her husband.

At a coroner's inquest, one of the officers testified that Eric Payton grabbed an officer's gun and fired three times.

Eric Payton was then fatally wounded by officers.

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