"Mass. man’s kin sue Fla. police over death" May 03, 2011|By Lisa Kocian, Globe Staff
The family of the Needham man killed while vacationing in Miami Beach two years ago has filed a lawsuit against Florida authorities and the off-duty sheriff’s deputy who shot him.
Nicholas Burdett was shot on Miami Beach on March 16, 2009, while allegedly trying to rob Justin Clayton, an off-duty Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy, according to an investigation by the Miami-Dade state attorney’s office....
Several weeks ago, a Miami-Dade state attorney said the shooting was justified and determined that Burdett threatened Clayton and Clayton’s girlfriend with a knife and demanded money.
David Burdett, Nicholas Burdett’s father, said the report from the state attorney was vague.
“Apparently Nick was stabbed twice in the back, … and apparently the knife that was found miraculously had no fingerprints or DNA on it,’’ Burdett said in a recent phone interview. “They did a great job in making Nick look bad, but a lot of stuff was left out.’’
He was stabbed and shot?
Looks as if HE was the one being ROBBED!
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Burdett's girlfriend, Linna Hor, told police that Burdett took medication to control anxiety and depression, according to the state attorney’s report.
A toxicological analysis of Burdett’s blood found “numerous psychotropic/prescription medications’’ in “varying quantities,’’ as well as the presence of alcohol, according to the report, but the levels at the time of the shooting could not be determined because of the medical intervention Burdett received.
Timothy Burke, an attorney for the Burdett family, said the lawsuit is the only way that the Burdetts can find out what happened to their son....
And they may not find out then. It's not like the truth is to be found in AmeriKan courts.
Abbe Rifkin, the Miami-Dade assistant state attorney who handled the case, said she would be open to considering other scenarios for the incident.
“Once again, if Mr. Burke or the Burdetts can give me an alternate explanation for Nicholas Burdett being in a lifeguard station with two strangers at 10 o’clock at night while armed with a knife, I’m willing to listen to it,’’ she said in a phone interview yesterday....
Okay, I will.
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I now think HE was the one being ROBBED by the "off-duty" COP and his GIRLFRIEND, and he wasn't going for it so the girl stuck him and the guy shot him!
Then they WIPED OFF the KNIFE and said HE HAD IT!
FLASHBACK:
"Answers sought in death on Fla. trip; Girlfriend says police version defies logic" by Lisa Kocian, Globe Staff | March 20, 2009
A Needham man who was shot and killed Monday while on vacation in Miami Beach had gone out to look for his lost sunglasses and never returned, according to his girlfriend, who was with him in Florida celebrating his 25th birthday.
Nicholas Burdett, who grew up in Needham and was living there with his parents, was shot by an off-duty Palm Beach County sheriff's deputy who said the Massachusetts man tried to rob him at knifepoint.
Burdett's girlfriend Linna Hor, reached by phone in Lowell yesterday, said the two had arrived in Miami Beach around noon Monday and spent the day in South Beach, dining and taking in the shops, sand, and surf.
Hor, who is 23, said the allegations against Burdett make no sense. She criticized the way police treated her.
"If he brought [a knife] with him, how could he bring it on the plane?" she said, adding that Burdett was not in the habit of carrying a knife. "Seriously, he was looking for his sunglasses. Why would he go on a trip to rob someone?"
I think you are beginning to understand what happened, 'eh? This off-duty cop killed this guy, then tried to cover it up with a bulls*** story -- and the credibility of AmeriKa's police takes another hit. I'll never visit Florida again.
Hor said she is upset that she was not told of his death until Tuesday evening, after her second trip to the Miami Beach police station to report him missing. She said police told her of the death only after intensely questioning her about him....
That's why you never want to report anything to the police; YOU become their SUSPECT!!!
The off-duty sheriff's deputy, Justin Clayton, was with his own girlfriend "having a romantic walk on the beach in a very nice neighborhood in South Beach" Monday evening, according to Ed Griffith, spokesman for the Miami-Dade state attorney's office.
"Obviously it was also attractive to an individual who appeared to have crime on his mind," Griffith said.
The alleged robbery attempt and shooting happened around 10 p.m. at a lifeguard stand on South Beach in the city of Miami Beach, which has a population of about 80,000 that swells in the South Beach area this time of year because of spring break, according to Detective Jenny Velazquez, public information officer for the Miami Beach Police Department.
Neither she nor Griffith would provide further details, including how many shots were fired or what transpired to indicate the encounter was an attempted robbery. A Police Department spokesman could not be reached after hours to respond to Hor's statements....
And yet, they can call a press conference and the press comes running!!!=
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"Deputy in shooting had clean record" by Lisa Kocian, Globe Staff | March 21, 2009
A Florida sheriff's deputy who shot and killed a Needham man this week is 26 years old and graduated from the police academy 15 months ago, according to his personnel records.
Palm Beach County Sheriff's Deputy Justin Clayton began as a community police officer for the city of Lake Worth Police Department, which merged with the sheriff's office in October, according to spokeswoman Teri Barbera. Clayton graduated from the police academy in December 2007, she said.
He has no disciplinary record since joining the sheriff's office, according to an internal affairs worker who asked not to be identified. Clayton is on paid administrative leave, which is customary, after shooting Nicholas Burdett of Needham in Miami Beach Monday night.
Authorities have said the deputy was off duty and walking with his girlfriend on the beach when Burdett tried to rob him at knifepoint. Barbera said Palm Beach deputies are allowed to carry concealed weapons while off duty.
Burdett's girlfriend, Linna Hor, reached by phone in Lowell on Thursday, said the two had just arrived in Miami Beach around noon Monday to celebrate Burdett's 25th birthday. He left their hotel room to look for lost sunglasses that evening and never returned, she said.
His father, David Burdett, said yesterday that he didn't know enough about what happened to comment. "I would say the same as any parent would say: He was a great kid," said Burdett.
Friends said they were shocked by Nicholas Burdett's violent death, and the accusations that he was involved in a robbery.
Oh, THIS GUY was SHOT in CLOD BLOOD!!!
"Nobody can understand what happened," said Needham High School football coach David Duffy, who coached Burdett, a 2002 Needham High graduate. "He was a tremendous kid. . . . He was an outgoing, personable kid. He talked to adults just as easily as he talked to friends."
Duffy described Burdett as a "big, strong" player who helped lead the team to their first playoff game in history. Burdett was never the type of student to get into fights or any other kind of trouble in school, Duffy said.
Burdett also played football at Springfield College, where he graduated in 2006. He was most recently working as a private contractor in home construction, according to his girlfriend.
Burdett was shot at a lifeguard stand on South Beach, which is crowded this time of year with students on spring break. The Needham Police Department was contacted Tuesday around 7 p.m. by Florida police and sent officers to the home of Burdett's parents to inform them of his death, according to Police Chief Thomas Leary.
The Miami Beach Police Department is investigating the shooting. Florida authorities said yesterday they would not release any other details about what happened on the beach while the investigation is ongoing.
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Yeah, strange how the cops only leak shit when it is advantageous to them!!
THERE ACTIONS in the AFTERMATH tell you all you need to know:
COP COVER-UP UNDERWAY!!!!!!
"Needham man called loyal brother; Hundreds mourn; death investigated" by Lisa Kocian, Globe Staff | March 24, 2009
Joshua Burdett remembered his older brother yesterday as someone who "had a knack for putting a smile on people's faces."
Nicholas Burdett, a Needham resident, died while vacationing in Florida on his 25th birthday, March 17. Hundreds of friends and family members gathered for a funeral yesterday.
He didn't just "die"; he was KILLED!!!!!
The 2006 Springfield College graduate was shot to death by an off-duty sheriff's deputy. Authorities said the deputy was walking on the beach with his girlfriend when Burdett allegedly attempted to rob him at knifepoint.
Burdett's friends have expressed disbelief, and his girlfriend, Linna Hor, who was with him in Miami Beach, said he wasn't carrying a knife. Hor said he went out to look for lost sunglasses the evening he was shot, while she stayed in their hotel room. The couple had arrived by plane around noon that day.
The Miami Beach Police Department is not releasing more details until the investigation is complete, which should be in about seven to 10 days, according to Detective Juan F. Sanchez, a department spokesman.
Why? What is taking so long? Gotta build the lie you are going to tell, 'eh?
Sheriff's Deputy Justin Clayton of Palm Beach County remains on paid administrative leave, according to Teri Barbera, sheriff's office spokeswoman. The sheriff's office will conduct an internal affairs investigation after the Miami Beach criminal investigation is complete, said Barbera. Clayton's return to duty is not dependent on the completion of either investigation and will be decided by his superiors, she said.
At the end of the funeral Mass at St. Bartholomew Church in Needham, Joshua Burdett described his brother's love of sports and his strong work ethic. At Needham High, he created his own position on the basketball court, he joked - the "shooting center guard." He has been described as a talented football player in high school and college.
And now he is gone forever.
Burdett drew laughter as he told a story about the adventures of what he described as the "menacing trio" of Burdett brothers. When Nicholas was 12, Joshua 10, and the youngest, Ross, 4 years old, their parents left them alone at home for a few hours.
The brothers proceeded to make larger and larger water balloons, starting with plastic sandwich bags and graduating to a plastic shopping bag loaded with smaller water-filled bags. Eventually, the two older brothers launched their largest creation off their parents' roof, accidentally smashing the window of their mother's new car.
Joshua said he had pushed for the bigger water explosions. But after the windshield incident, his big brother did something that changed the way he saw him. Nicholas called his parents and took the blame, letting his younger brother off the hook. Joshua said it was the first of many times his older brother would come to his defense.
"He acted as a big brother and he protected me," said Joshua Burdett. "That's how I will always remember him."
But he is a knife-wielding murderer.
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Question: Why would a big, huge, football player feel the need to carry a knife?
Also see: Florida Fogs Police Murder of Massachusetts Man
