Attorney contesting police conclusion that mother and son death at ballpark was intentional

San Diego police’s conclusion — that the death of a woman who fell six stories while clutching her 2-year-old son at a baseball park was an intentional act — is now being contested by an attorney.

As Lawandcrime reports, the incident, which took place on 25 September last year at the Petco Park baseball stadium, was initially viewed as “suspicious” by local authorities.

However, following “a thorough and comprehensive investigation” that included interviews and surveillance footage, among other things, the San Diego Police department determined the death to be a suicide, and her son’s death a homicide, Police homicide Lt Andra Brown said in a statement.

In a further twist, attorney Dan Gilleon is now contesting the police’s conclusion, claiming that it could be a case of the city blaming the victim in an attempt to rid themselves of any culpability.

“To me, the City is acting like any other defendant in a lawsuit: blame the victim, especially if they’re not able to defend themselves,” attorney Dan Gilleon told KWSB.

The L.A. Times also points out that the City of San Diego owns 70% of Petco Park, a fact that a separate attorney who represents Wilkins’ father considers suspicious.

At the time of their death, 40-year-old Raquel Wilkins and her infant son Denzel Browning-Wilkins were on the third-level concourse on the west side of the stadium, adjacent to Tony Gwynn Way sidewalk, when they fell to the ground.

Wilkins has left behind her fiancé, the father of the child killed, who was in the stadium at the time of the fall. The couple had gotten engaged the same day, with Wilkins announcing her engagement on Facebook hours before she and her son died.

Just after the incident, San Diego’s Mayor Todd Gloria suggested that mental health issues could be part of the picture.

“We have a mental health crisis that we don’t talk nearly enough about, and Covid has exacerbated that greatly,” Mayor Gloria told Fox. “I hope that folks who find themselves in this position – and there is no shame in admitting that you’re having challenges – to avail themselves to the many services that are out there. You are not alone in this regard.”

A lawyer for the Wilkins family has claimed they were not given any explanation for how investigators reached that conclusion, while police said they would not release any further information on the case.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.