TotalTransLogistics LLC said in a complaint filed this week in Superior Court that it is seeking to recover damages for harm caused by Jamal Merrell while he was employed as a trooper. The company also said the state police agency was liable because of "wanton and grossly negligent failure to supervise Merrell."in federal prison after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count of deprivation of rights under color of law.
Among other things, the company alleges that DSP had the ability to track Merrell’s patrol vehicle through GPS and computer-aided dispatch capabilities, but apparently failed to question why his vehicle was frequently at TTL when there was no investigative reason for him to be there. "Merrell’s actions were so open and notorious that the DSP knew or should have known that Merrell was engaged in criminal activities," according to the complaint, which also claims that personnel and internal affairs records likely contain information revealing his problematic behavior.
According to the lawsuit, the thefts began after Merrell, in June 2020, legitimately followed up on a complaint that a package was at TTL as part of a potential online scam. According to the lawsuit, Merrell closed his investigation and did not forward it to his supervisors for follow-up."Thereafter, Merrell began returning to TTL in uniform and in his police vehicle on a regular basis," the complaint states.