MONROE — A Monroe resident who filed a claim against the city in October after colliding with a squad car has decided to sue in order to recover costs for “medical care,” “lost earnings” and “emotional distress,” according to court records.

William Klein, 59, filed a suit with Green County Circuit Court July 10. Originally, he had brought a claim against Monroe Police officer Brent Krebs and the city for $250,000, the highest amount recoverable by a person for damages against an officer or state employee per Wisconsin state statute 893.82(6).

The incident between the two occurred May 12, 2016. Just before 5:30 p.m., Krebs was driving in the 1800 block of 13th Avenue in response to an ambulance call but did not have emergency lights or the car’s siren active. When he pulled forward facing south onto 19th Street, Police Chief Fred Kelley said Krebs saw Klein driving an eastbound motorcycle and the officer slammed on his brakes. Kelley said Klein’s front bumper collided with the squad car and that according to the accident report, the bike remained upright with slight damage to the front fender.

Kelley has previously said there are videos of the damage and discussions between Klein and officers. Since the incident, the original claim has been changed, with more damage and injury details added to it. 

Klein claimed in court records that Krebs failed to yield to the right-of-way with the stop sign and that the motorcycle slammed into the body of the police car, with the bike skidding underneath. He has claimed physical injuries and loss of enjoyment of life, as well as pain and suffering, emotional distress and lost income. In his suit, filed against Krebs, the city and the Cities and Villages Mutual Insurance Company, Klein has requested nearly $45,000 to pay for medical costs and cited the need for additional compensation to account for unknown future costs of care.