Mistaken For A Dummy: Peter Valenti's Family Sues

The family of the Redding man whose dying body was at first mistaken for a "dummy" by police officers who then waited more than 30 minutes before allowing him to be examined, is suing the police department. When an emergency medical technician was finally allowed to examine Peter Valenti III, he determined his heart still had a rhythm.

But it was too late to save him.

Before hanging himself on April 11, 2016, Valenti sent text messages to four friends telling them to send the police to his house.

As Patch first reported, while police arrived within 15 minutes of Valenti's text messages, they didn't discover his body for more than seven minutes. When they did, they originally thought it was a dummy. Even when they realized it was Valenti, no one bothered to check if he was still alive.

The complaint filed by the law firm of McEnery, Price, Messey & Sullivan on behalf of Valenti's parents, Peter and Joann, charges that negligence "was a substantial factor in causing the injuries and resulting death of Peter Valenti."

It charges the police department, the town of Redding, as well as the police chief, the 911 dispatcher, and other members of the police department who responded to Valenti's home.

The complaint also accuses them of acting wantonly and recklessly.

"In a time when we have all become so aware of the wonderful job first responders do on behalf of the public, this case represents a glaring departure that is hard to accept," Gerard McEnery, one of the lawyers for the family, told Patch.

"Peter's death was avoidable and we are seeking justice for the Valenti family."

Among the charges contained in the complaint:

• The dispatcher failed to send an EMS unit at the same time as police;
• Officers failed to render first aid to Valenti;
• Officers failed to follow proper procedures;
• The officers and chief failed to permit the person with the highest level of valid EMS certification – an emergency medical technician who was kept from the body and subsequently filed a complaint – from examining Peter; and
• The officers failed to check Valenti to see if he was still alive.

When Valenti died, he left behind his 15-month-old son Vincent, who is now being cared for by Peter's parents.

Valenti's wife, Paula, had died suddenly one month before of a bronchial asthma attack.

The city, town, and others named in the complaint have yet to respond.

Photo of Peter and Paula Valenti courtesy of the Valenti family.