The City of Manchester has been ordered to pay $4.25 million in a wrongful death lawsuit.
A Delaware County jury on Friday ordered the payment after a week-long trial at the Delaware County Courthouse.
The family of 31-year old Augustin “Gus” Mormann of Colesburg filed the lawsuit. Mormann was involved in a high-speed motorcycle chase in the Manchester area on December 10, 2020. The lawsuit alleged that Manchester Police Lieutenant Jim Wessels engaged in a chase through the Manchester area when several other officers ended their pursuit pursuant to protocol. It alleged Wessels violated that rule, continued the chase on a county road north of town and came into contact with Mormann’s motorcycle twice, causing him to lose control and crash. Mormann died as a result of his injuries a month later on January 15, 2021.
Mormann’s parents, Sandy and Dan Mormann, alleged in their lawsuit that Wessels used “intentional, excessive and/or reckless force” during the chase, ultimately leading to their son’s death.
The lawsuit also originally named Manchester Police Chief James Hauschild as a defendant, but the Mormanns’ attorney, Dave O’Brien of Cedar Rapids, told KMCH in September 2022 that they were dismissing Hauschild from the claims.
According to the Telegraph Herald, the jury sided with the Mormanns on Friday, finding that Wessels’ actions were unjustified and led to Mormann’s death.
Wessels, who retired in 2022, is responsible for an additional $10,000 in punitive damages.
