Albany County Paid $1.2 Million To Settle Ramirez Death Lawsuit

Albany County paid $1.2 million to settle a lawsuit stemming from the 2018 shooting death of a man who was shot and killed by an Albany County Sheriff's deputy,

That's according to a news release that was posted on the Albany County Sheriff's Office Facebook page. Attached to the release is a Confidential Settlement Global Agreement.

In the Nov. 4, 2018 incident, 39-year-old Robbie Ramirez was shot and killed by then-deputy Derek Colling.  Ramirez was unarmed at the time of the shooting and had a history of mental illness.

Ramirez's mother, Debra Hinkel, sued Colling, then-Sheriff Dave O'Malley and Albany County in 2020.

Sheriff's Office Does Not Admit Guilt In Settlement

In the release, current Sheriff Aaron Applehans says the agency did not admit guilt in the incident. Applehans was elected sheriff in 2022. Colling is no longer with the agency.

The lawsuit was settled in 2022, but at that time the settlement was kept confidential. But last year the Wyoming Supreme Court issued a ruling saying that lawsuit settlement agreements involving governmental agencies are a matter of public record.

In the release accompanying the publication of the agreement, Applehans wrote ''The Settlement Agreement’s payment of $1,200,000.00 to the Estate of Mr. Ramirez was made in 2022 and included, among other things, no admissions of liability or wrongdoing by any party, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office’s agreement to use reasonable efforts to continue its crisis intervention training for deputies, the parties’ agreement there was no legal basis for evidence tampering, and that payment pursuant to the Settlement Agreement would be made upon the U.S. District Court’s issuance of an order denying Plaintiff’s Motion for Default Judgment.''