Logan family's lawyer files motion to intervene in South Bend police tapes case

SOUTH BEND Ind. - The lawyer for the family of Eric Logan is now filing a motion to intervene in the South Bend police tapes case.

The 7-year-long battle between the common council and the city to preserve rather than destroy the tapes may now have another player.

The tapes were recorded through wiretapped phone calls and allegedly contain racist comments made by South Bend police officers.

Now, the Logan family’s lawyer says they want to hear the tapes because it might help in their federal civil rights case against the city.

“We believe that they could be assistance or helpful in proving our 1983 claim or “Monell” claim to show that there’s a pattern of practice in the South Bend Police Department of racial discrimination and other potential crimes committed by police officers that have been covered up,” Brian Coffman, lawyer for the estate of Eric Logan, said.

This comes after the officer-involved fatal shooting of car break-in suspect Eric Logan in June.

In a hearing today, the Common Council and the city’s lawyers both took no sides. But the judge voiced his concern about a further delay in the already prolonged tapes case.

“I think it is always a concern for judges when parties come into cases. We want to see what has happened in this case. I know it’s been going on for a long time, however, just because of a time limit, we should have no interest in this,” Coffman said.

The judge will issue an answer by next week as to whether or not the Logan estate may intervene in the case and hear what is on those tapes.