ST. LOUIS — The father of a man fatally shot while exiting a MetroLink train at the Forest Park-DeBaliviere platform in April 2022 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in St. Louis Circuit Court, alleging negligence and failure to provide adequate security on public transit.
The lawsuit, brought by Allen Norwood, seeks damages in excess of $25,000 from both the Bi-State Development Agency, which operates Metro, and G4S Secure Solutions, the security firm contracted to protect riders, according to the case filed April 17 in St. Louis Circuit Court.
According to the petition, Norwood is the biological father of Manu Barge, who was shot and killed at approximately 12:30 a.m. on April 17, 2022, as he exited the Metro train. The lawsuit claims the assailant, another passenger, had entered the train illegally without paying a fare and had been visibly threatening Barge in the minutes leading up to the shooting.
Norwood alleges that Bi-State, as a common carrier and public transit operator, owed passengers like his son a duty to provide a reasonably safe and secure environment.
The suit argues that Bi-State failed to uphold this duty by not installing adequate security infrastructure such as turnstiles, panic buttons, alarms, and intercom systems, and by failing to staff its trains and platforms with trained security or law enforcement personnel.
The complaint further asserts that Bi-State knew or should have known of the potential danger posed by fare-evading assailants, noting that many violent crimes on Metro trains and platforms were committed by individuals who had not purchased tickets.
Surveillance footage allegedly showed that the shooter boarded the train at the Clayton station without paying and accosted Barge during the ride. Despite this, the plaintiff contends, Bi-State took no steps to intervene before the fatal shooting.
Norwood also names G4S Secure Solutions as a defendant, claiming that the firm had a contractual duty to provide security services on Metro trains and platforms. The suit asserts that G4S’s failure to perform these duties contributed to an increased risk to passengers, including Barge.
It accuses G4S of negligence in allowing the assailant to board and remain on the train unchallenged and for failing to have security personnel present who could have responded to the situation.
The lawsuit states that Bi-State maintained liability insurance, either through self-insurance or by requiring G4S to carry general liability insurance that named Bi-State as an additional insured. This, the petition argues, constitutes a waiver of sovereign immunity under Missouri law.
The filing notes that violent crime was not a new concern on Metro property. Citing a history of serious incidents, including assaults, robberies, and shootings over the prior five years, Norwood claims the defendants had ample notice and sufficient time to implement safety measures but failed to act.
The complaint references the Business Premises Safety Act, arguing that Bi-State had a duty to anticipate and prevent foreseeable acts of violence.
Counts I and II of the petition charge Bi-State and G4S with wrongful death, alleging that their combined negligence directly led to Barge’s shooting and death. Count III, brought solely against Bi-State, alleges a violation of the Business Premises Safety Act. Norwood claims the lack of adequate precautions and failure to act on prior knowledge of dangerous conditions rendered Metro’s trains and platforms unsafe.
As a result of his son’s death, Norwood states he has suffered the loss of Barge’s companionship, guidance, and support, as well as the pain of his son’s final moments. He asks the court to award damages and any other relief deemed appropriate.
St. Louis Circuit Court case number: 2522-CC00744