Family attorney of Colesburg man says Manchester Police covering up cash evidence

MANCHESTER, Iowa (KCRG) - The attorney for a family is suing a Manchester Police officer and the department, claiming that the police tried to cover up what happened in a fatal crash.

31-year-old Gus Mormann, of Colesberg, was killed during a police chase. Investigators said he was speeding while driving a motorcycle on a suspended license in December of 2020. Police said Mormann reached speeds exceeding 100 mph. The Iowa State Patrol and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office disengaged, but authorities said Manchester Police officer James Wessel restarted the chase and crashed into Mormann.

“The family doesn’t excuse wrongful conduct of their son operating a motorcycle over 100 mph to avoid apprehension by police,” David O’Brien, the family attorney, said. “That doesn’t mean the police get to execute him.”

O’Brien said the State Patrol asked for a video of the crash to do an investigation, but the video Manchester Police handed over didn’t show the crash, and there was no way to get it back. An expert witness he hired to testify said the department tried to get rid of the video.

“There are only one of two things that happened, either immediately they took the recorder out of service and put it back in service, or they left the recorder in service; and when they took it out of service they back-dated the sealed evidence. Whatever one they did, both of those are wrong,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien said another expert witness examined the collision marks and believed the crash was either intentional or reckless.

“The problem is, there should be video, but the city of Manchester is alleging there isn’t,” O’Brien said. “Every police enforcement vehicle in the state of Iowa which, I am aware, requires that as soon as the emergency lights and sirens go on the dash cam starts recording. Manchester is alleging that they set their system up differently, and it requires manual activation.”

The attorney representing Manchester has not yet responded.

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