The family of Sean Bickings, the man who drowned in Tempe Town Lake in 2022, has filed a lawsuit against the city of Tempe after allegedly failing to implement new safety measures. 

Working with Attorney Benjamin Taylor of Taylor & Gomez Law, Bickings's mother Turee Toro is seeking financial compensation for injuries and damages suffered because of Bickings's unfortunate death. 

"The city of Tempe and Tempe law enforcement promised new safety measurements following Sean’s tragic death and a year later we have yet to see these actions implemented. We hope this lawsuit will encourage the city of Tempe to take the necessary steps to ensure no one else carelessly loses their life by drowning in Tempe Town Lake,” Taylor said in a press release. 

Aside from expenses for the funeral and burial costs, Toro also seeks "punitive damages to the extent permitted by law," according to the lawsuit filed in the Maricopa County Superior Court.

The lawsuit alleges that the city was well aware of the dangers of drowning at Tempe Town Lake and that several prior drowning cases should have been ample notice for the city to identify the issue. 

Summarizing the incident, the lawsuit explained that Tempe Police Department and Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department were inefficient and ineffective in assisting Bickings, ultimately leading to his death. 

The document also identifies the police officers involved with Bickings's death as defendants, including former Tempe Police Chief Jeffrey Glover and Tempe Fire Chief Greg Ruiz.

Other city officers named were Bryan Berman, Kelly Bennett and Jeffrey Gebbie. There are an additional 10 unnamed defendants included in the lawsuit.