Hills. sheriff faces lawsuit

TAMPA - Jasmine Bedwell's baby was tossed from a moving car on I-275 in early May. Her ex-boyfriend Richard McTear is charged with the murder of baby Emanuel. It was a heartless, callous act that shocked the Tampa Bay community.

Now, the grieving mom plans to sue the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

The agency confirmed the lawsuit, but would not comment on it.

Bedwell is also suing the Florida Department of Children and Families. The teen mom was under the agency's supervision at the time she and her baby were attacked.

"On June 12th, we received a letter, as did Hillsborough Kids, that a lawyer has been retained by the mother of the deceased child, and that they were intending on filing a lawsuit against the department, " said Nick Cox, the regional director for the Department of Children and Families.

A recent review of the Bedwell case by DCF showed mistakes were made. For instance, the agency was critical of sheriff's investigators and child welfare authorities, saying they failed to do extensive background checks on McTear. And the review also showed the teen mom should have been supervised more closely.

No details of the lawsuit have been filed in court.