Family of Beaver County man who fatally shot himself inside police vehicle files lawsuit over his death
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The family of a Beaver County man who fatally shot himself in police custody is suing over his death.
Police say Arpad Sooky, a former dentist with a practice in Ambridge, fatally shot himself while handcuffed inside a Center Township police vehicle in August.
Civil rights attorney Todd Hollis has now filed a notice to sue Center Township.
"It's our contention that there is some responsibility relating to the death of my client," Hollis said.
Sooky was taken into custody after Center Township police — with the help of ATF agents and Beaver County detectives — served a search warrant at his home. On the way to the police station, officials said the man shot himself.
"How someone would have access to a gun after they were checked and handcuffed and placed in a police vehicle?" Hollis said. "And then how they would get access to that gun and then why they would commit suicide? Those are all real questions."
Two days before his death, an officer who returned Sooky's wandering father saw a large number of firearms inside the home, firearms he allegedly wasn't allowed to have. It is not clear why he wasn't allowed to have those guns.
After the August search warrant, authorities recovered assault rifles and 3D printing materials suspected to be used in making ghost guns.
Sources told KDKA-TV before Sooky was taken into custody, he had a gun, police disarmed him, handcuffed him from behind, and put him inside the back of a police vehicle.
And on the way to the police station, officials said Sooky shot himself with a second weapon that hadn't been confiscated, a small caliber pistol. He also had a knife on him, sources added.
"That there were issues in how he was searched and how he was able to obtain a weapon, what the police knew or didn't know when they arrived on scene," Hollis said.
Beaver County District Attorney David Lozier previously asked state police to investigate. KDKA-TV reached out to state police about what its investigation found but didn't hear back on Friday.
For the family, questions linger.
"The family wants answers," Hollis said. "They are entitled to those answers. We'll use every resource that we have in my office to dot every I, to cross every T to get the answers they need."
A neighbor of Sooky told KDKA-TV in August that his parents said they were afraid and came to her home when their son had outbursts.
KDKA-TV reached out to Center Township's police chief and solicitor but didn't hear back on Friday.
