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Rohrboughs Ask For Columbine Grand Jury

Brown Gets Documents Requested To Investigate Rohrbough Death

POSTED: 7:27 a.m. MST January 8, 2002
UPDATED: 6:28 p.m. MST January 8, 2002

An attorney for the family of a Columbine High School victim formally asked Tuesday for a federal grand jury to examine claims the teen was accidentally gunned down by a police officer.

Attorney Barry Arrington filed the request with U.S. Attorney John Suthers on Tuesday. He represents Brian Rohrbough, who claims an officer killed his 15-year-old son Daniel during the April 20, 1999, tragedy.

Rohrbough and other Columbine parents have called for a federal investigation, saying alleged contradictions in accounts of the shootings suggest an official cover-up. The U.S. Attorney is reviewing the request, 7NEWS reported.

Jefferson County officials have said Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris killed all the victims before any officers arrived. In a Dec. 26 motion filed in federal court, Rohrbough claimed Denver police Sgt. Dan O'Shea killed Daniel.

The motion was based on claims that O'Shea told an acquaintance he feared he may have shot a student, and that Arapahoe County deputy Jim Taylor told Daniel's mother that he saw Daniel being shot.

Taylor has denied saying he saw the shooting. Daniel's mother, Sue Petrone, and Rohrbough claim they have Taylor on tape saying he did see the shooting.

Taylor now says he was lying when he told the Rohrbough's that he saw their son get shot. The Rohrboughs and their attorney said that this is just the latest attempt to cover-up what really happened that day.

"There are details in his story, details that you wouldn't make up," Arrington said.

The Rohrboughs said Taylor told them the same story several times -- a day after Columbine, and then again about a year later. They pointed out that he even told the same story to his own family.

The Rohrboughs claim that physical evidence shows Taylor was truthful when he said he saw Daniel get shot. They said that Taylor was a long-time family friend who would not lie about their son.

"What possible motive could he have for telling them a lie like this? It would have been cruel, it would have been monstrous for him to tell this as a lie," Arrington said.

Arrington said he and Rohrbough plan to meet Friday with Arapahoe County Sheriff Pat Sullivan to discuss the tape.

Rohrbough has refused to turn over the tape because he said Arapahoe County sheriff's officials have not released some information relating to Columbine.

Sheriff Releases Documents Detailing Police Response

Tuesday, the sheriff's department released documents requested by Randy Brown, whose son was threatened by Harris and Klebold but was unhurt at Columbine.

Brown said that he received 800 pages of documents that he's never seen before. Among the documents are dispatch logs that reveal when specific squad cars and officers arrived at the Columbine scene.

Brown hopes to be able to determine if Taylor was present at the time when Rohrbough was shot, 7NEWS reported.

"We're going to wait and see," Arrington said. "We're not making any commitments."

Brown, like Rohrbough, has alleged a cover-up by authorities.

Brown said he asked for the documents to support Rohrbough and other victims' families.

"We just wanted to try to help them because the families simply don't have the strength," he said.

Authorities said Klebold and Harris killed 12 students and a teacher and injured 23 people before committing suicide.


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