Olympic park 'killer goat' lawsuit mostly dismissed

TACOMA, Wash. — A judge has dismissed most of a widow's claims against the federal government after her husband was killed by a mountain goat at Olympic National Park two years ago.

Sixty-three-year-old Robert Boardman was trying to protect his wife and daughter when the 370-pound billy goat gored him on a trail near Hurricane Ridge in October 2010. His wife, Susan Chadd, sued, saying officials at the park failed to take steps to prevent the attack even though they were well aware of the aggressive goat.

U.S. District Judge Robert Bryan dismissed all but one of the claims in a ruling this week. He said that even though the park could have acted more quickly to kill or relocate the goat, its actions are immune from lawsuit under the Federal Tort Claims Act because they involved an exercise of discretion related to public policy.

The one remaining claim is that the park staff failed to act quickly once the attack was reported.

By The Associated Press