Lydia McLaughlin is finding some solace in tragedy.
While detailing her family’s burial for her brother Geoffrey "Geoff" Stirling Jr., who was shot and killed during a confrontation with police following a traffic stop, the Real Housewives of Orange County alum shared what she is taking comfort in amid her ongoing grief.
“Yesterday, we laid my brother to rest. Just six months ago, we stood in this same place, grieving the loss of my mom,” Lydia, 44, wrote on Instagram May 5 alongside a photo of her brother and video of family members releasing doves at the cemetery. “My heart is broken, and the shock still hasn’t settled.”
“But even in the sorrow, I cling to what I know is true: God is good. He is in control. I am not,” she continued. “My brother is now with my mom, and I hold onto the promise that one day, we’ll all be reunited. Until then, I will miss them every single day.”
Geoff was shot and killed following a confrontation with police during a traffic stop in Southern California on April 17.
"Shortly after being stopped, Stirling became uncooperative and assaulted the officer," the April 18 statement from Newport Beach Police Department said in part. "During the ensuing violent altercation, Stirling managed to remove the department-issued taser from the officer's duty belt and attempted to deploy it multiple times against the officer. At that point, an officer-involved shooting occurred."
According to the statement, Geoff was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead as a result of his injuries. He was 45.
Days after the funeral, the Newport Beach Police Department released bodycam footage from the incident, telling KABC-TV May 7 that sharing the video with the public was “part of our ongoing efforts to keep the community informed and engaged.”
However, following the release of the footage, Geoff’s family released a statement through their attorney, revealing they plan to file a federal lawsuit against the police department, alleging the video shows he was “moving away” from police prior to his death.
“The family through their Attorneys plan to file a lawsuit in Federal Court to obtain full answers and seek accountability,” the May 7 statement to KABC-TV said. “Geoff was experiencing a mental health crisis when he was stopped for a traffic infraction. Geoff was unarmed and posed no deadly threat to the officer.”
“The Stirling family expects that all video and audio footage along with every report and shred of evidence related to this deeply disturbing shooting be preserved for presentation in due course as part of the lawsuit the family will be pursuing,” the statement continued. “ The cause of death was blood loss. Despite the presence of multiple officers reporting to the scene, no aid was initially offered.”
And they emphasized that Stirling’s death was preventable.
"The family remains heartbroken and devastated that Geoff was taken from them in what appears to be an unjustified use of lethal force,” the family concluded. “Equally tragic is that there may have been other options and tactics available to the officer that he failed to utilize based on his training."