STUART — The family of a woman shot and killed by an Indian River County deputy in 2017 has filed a multi-million-dollar wrongful death lawsuit against Sheriff's Office personnel, alleging civil rights violations and negligence.

The family of Susan Teel, 62, is suing Indian River County Sheriff Deryl Loar and Deputy Jonathan Lozada for $10 million, according to Stuart attorney Guy Rubin, who announced the federal court filing at a 10:30 a.m. news conference.

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Susan Teel was shot July 26, 2017, by Lozada, who was called to her home after a 911 call by Teel's daughter Sara Gordon. Gordon told a dispatcher her mother had cut her wrists in a suicide attempt and was likely under the influence of alcohol and prescription drugs.

When the deputy entered the home, Teel lunged at him with a butcher knife, so he shot her, according to the Indian River County Sheriff's Office.

Rubin said Lozada "created the opportunity for suicide" by drawing his weapon and going up the stairs of Susan Teel's home "Rambo style."

Susan Teel's husband, emergency room doctor Dudley Teel, 70, and two of her children, Gordon, 40, and Connor Teel, 28, were present at the news conference, though they did not speak.

"This case illustrates all the things that police response should not do," Rubin said. "(Lozada's) responding to a suicide call. He actually facilitated a suicide-by-cop when he approached her in a threatening way and gave her the opportunity to fulfill her wishes."

Sheriff's Office spokesman Maj. Eric Flowers declined to comment on the pending litigation.

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The allegations

In the lawsuit, Susan Teel's family said an inadequate 911 response and failures by Lozada and Loar ripped a mother away from her family and ended a 41-year marriage.

"Like most families, it was not always peaches and cream, and over the course of time it became obvious that Susan was dealing with mental illness," Rubin said at the news conference. "She struggled with that mental illness for a number of years and it all came to a head on July the 26th of 2017."

Rubin said Loar’s general orders for crisis situations instruct first responders to calm the situation, give people space and avoid cornering anyone.

Susan Teel's family faults Lozada, who Rubin characterized as a "very young and very inexperienced deputy," for not waiting for backup and for failing to attempt to have a conversation with Susan Teel before going upstairs.

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"Instead, Lozada drew his weapon, then walked upstairs to the second floor, placing himself in a potential(ly) harmful situation without any attempt to assess if Mrs. Teel was alive and if she was a threat to anyone other than herself," according to the suit.

When Lozada confronted Teel upstairs, she raised her knife and said, "Shoot me … Come on, Just do it," after which he fired three shots, according to the lawsuit.

A grand jury convened in January declined to indict Lozada on criminal charges in the shooting.

In the lawsuit, Rubin highlighted Lozada’s disciplinary history, which included 56 hours of suspension in 2017.

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In June 2017, the month before Susan Teel was shot, a man suffered head injuries when Lozada wrestled him to the ground during a traffic stop.

Investigators determined Lozada had "a heightened level of frustration prior to making contact with the driver," which escalated the situation, according to an internal affairs report detailing the excessive force complaint.

Lozada was suspended for 40 hours and given remedial training.

The lawsuit alleges Loar was negligent in not firing or restricting Lozada's contact with the public given his five-year history with the office. Rubin said the Sheriff's Office did not provide sufficient training on responding to those with mental illness.

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Rubin also accused Loar of providing false information at a news conference held the day after the shooting.

Loar told journalists Susan Teel and Lozada's fatal confrontation began as he was approaching the top of the stairs, while Lozada said in a sworn interview she was still on the bed when he entered her bedroom.

"If they cannot get truth from the sheriff, who can they expect truth from? And so this case will be about that. It’ll be about mental illness; it’ll be about first responders; it’ll be about accountability; and it’ll be about truth between the people we trust with guns and badges and the citizens of the Treasure Coast," Rubin said.

Reporter Will Greenlee contributed to this story.