A St. Louis mother who sued Saint Louis University and one of its security officers over her son's fatal shooting has now brought civil rights attorney Ben Crump onto her legal team as the case heads toward trial. Dorothy Slaughter's son, Omar Zulueta Jr., was killed by an SLU security guard early on June 25, 2021, near the intersection of Olive Street and Compton Avenue.
According to STLtoday.com, reporters Erin Heffernan and Kim Bell detailed how Slaughter's wrongful-death lawsuit against the university and the security officer is now moving forward with Crump on board as the trial date approaches. Slaughter filed the lawsuit on April 16, 2024, in St. Louis Circuit Court against security officer Steven G. Roy and Saint Louis University, alleging negligence and a failure to properly hire, train and supervise, according to a statement from bencrump.com. The statement says Crump has been retained by the family of Zulueta, described as a 36-year-old Black father who was shot and killed by the SLU security officer in June 2021.
What Happened the Night of the Shooting
SLU Director of Public Safety Darryl Walker said Zulueta and a woman were involved in a domestic altercation, while city police reported that a campus officer fatally shot an armed man, according to the St. Louis Homicide Tracker. The tracker notes that the SLU officer shot Zulueta and then provided medical attention until St. Louis police and paramedics arrived on scene. That early account described an armed man confronted by a campus security guard just after 12:30 a.m. near Olive Street and Compton Avenue, in the Grand Center area.
The confrontation and shooting left Zulueta dead, and his family has spent years since pursuing accountability through the courts. Slaughter's lawsuit alleges that Saint Louis University bears responsibility not just for the officer's actions that night, but for how the university selected, trained and oversaw its security staff.
Crump Joins the Legal Team
Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney, is now working alongside co-counsel Phillip Georges on behalf of Zulueta's family, per the statement posted to Crump's firm website. The addition of Crump signals an escalation in the legal fight as the case nears trial, though the evidence does not establish a confirmed trial date or the case's current status in court.
Neither Saint Louis University nor Roy has issued a public response to the lawsuit's allegations that has been independently verified. The claims outlined in the lawsuit, including the specifics of the alleged negligence in hiring, training and supervision, remain allegations attributed to the family's legal filing rather than findings confirmed by the university or the officer.
