BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (WTVF) — With the loss of Brentwood Police Officer Destin Legieza still on the minds of many in Brentwood, two court battles are now stemming from his June death.
Investigators say Legieza was killed when a drunk driver, Ashley Kroese, hit him going the wrong way down Franklin Road.
According to court filings, Kroese’s attorney is trying to get Kroese’s blood alcohol results, which came back at more than twice the legal limit, thrown out.
Kroese’s attorney says the blood draw was done before police got a search warrant.
But the state says that doesn’t matter, because the blood draw was a medical procedure, not requested by police, saying the alcohol analysis on the blood was only done after the search warrant was filed.
Meanwhile, Heather Legieza - Officer Legieza’s widow - is suing Kimbro’s Pickin’ Parlor in Franklin for $7 million, saying the bar served Kroese alcoholic beverages before the crash for several hours even though servers knew she was visibly intoxicated.
The bar responded to those allegations today, saying Kroese left several hours before the crash, after ordering just two glasses of water, two bags of chips and one beer.
For now, both issues remain in court, with the issue of the blood alcohol results scheduled to be taken up Thursday.
Below is the full statement issued from Will Jordan, owner of Kimbro's Pickin' Parlor:
When I learned that Brentwood Police Officer Destin Legieza was killed in a car crash with a young lady that had visited my establishment hours prior, my heart sank. I grieve the loss for Officer Legieza’s family, the Brentwood Police Department family, and the community. The young lady involved in the accident left my establishment several hours before the accident after ordering two waters, two bags of chips and one beer. My establishment is named as the sole defendant in a civil lawsuit brought by Officer Legieza’s widow, which I view as an attempt to piece together what happened in the hours before the accident. While I don’t know the answer to that question, I hope Mrs. Legieza uncovers the truth and finds peace.
