Breitup Family Sues City
After "House of Pies" Arrest Goes Awry

In an emotional press conference, the family of deceased police officer Karl Breitup announced they will be filing a multi-million dollar lawsuit against City Hall, Assistant District Attorney Harvey Dent, and "every last caller" to Dent's public tip line.

Breitup's mother, Vera Breitup, broke down and wept after she wailed from the podium, "Why? Why did they have to shoot my boy?"

The Breitup family lawyer, Jeremiah Steinburger, said that the incident at what is now being referred to as the House of Dies revealed that "City Hall shows a stunning lack of concern for the lives of their citizens." Steinburger said that Internal Affairs should have known than an arrest attempt at a known mob hang-out might result in bloodshed.

"Ordering the arrest at Betty's House of Pies was worse than criminal, it was stupid," said Steinburger. "Any idiot should have known to arrest the men at their police office."

Steinburger saved his most venomous words, however, for the "baying mob of cretins" who contacted Dent's tip line and reported that Breitup may have been involved with organized crime.

"These sub-humans, with their vicious gossip and insatiable need to slur and slander, were the monsters that started this whole terrible chain. They are the real killers here."

Steinburger vowed that he would demand the identities of those who reported Breitup's name to the tip line and "sue them into the poor house."

Steinburger also defended Karl Breitup himself. Breitup, he said, was an honorable man without a hint of corruption.

"Breitup isn't alive to fight for his good name, so I will have to do it," Steinburger said. "Dent doesn't have an iota of evidence against Breitup because Karl Breitup was a good man with a powerful sense of right and wrong."

Many of the family members vowed vengeance. "Karl didn't even have time to pull out his gun before those maniacs slaughtered him like a barnyard pig! Someone has to pay," said his wife Mary Breitup.

"Even in Gotham, someone has to pay," Breitup said.