A father’s wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Portland and a firefighter has been dismissed.
A federal judge found that the lawsuit filed by John Cohen didn’t raise enough evidence for a jury to consider the allegations that the city is at fault for the drowning death of his son, 25-year-old Eric Cohen, according to the Portland Press Herald.
Cohen, who had a history of mental health issues, allegedly beat his girlfriend unconscious and assaulted a bystander after the couple got into an argument while walking down Marginal Way in April 2020.
Cohen then fled from police, crossed Interstate 295, stripped naked and jumped into the frigid water, Portland police said at the time.
His father’s lawsuit claimed first responders could have acted faster to save his life while they waited for the city’s fireboat to arrive.
Despite the dismissal, John Cohen plans to appeal the decision to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston.
