Detective Gilmartin suing parents of man accused of shooting him

SCRANTON — The Scranton police detective who was seriously wounded in a Jan. 11 shooting has filed a lawsuit against the parents of Aiden Deininger for not securing their firearm.

Gilmartin is seeking $100,000 in damages from Alex and Crystal Eastman on charges of negligence and negligent entrustment.

The lawsuit alleges Deininger, 21, took the black Ruger LCR revolver and fired five shots into the police cruiser, two of which struck Gilmartin in the head.

According to the lawsuit, the Ruger revolver was left on a table inside his home in Nicholson, and not in a gun safe or secure place despite the parents knowing Deininger had “violent propensities and/or theft on the part of their son.”

The lawsuit states that Gilmartin has sustained a loss of future earnings, medical costs to treat his injuries, and pain and suffering that will diminish life’s pleasures.

Gilmartin was one of three officers injured after an early January shooting after officers were investigating reports of shots fired across Scranton.

The officers used footage on social media to determine Deininger and his accomplice Jeremiah Cleveland’s, 19, location the night of the shootings.

Deininger fired shots into the unmarked sedan, but was struck by return fire as he was evading.

Deininger and Cleveland both remain in the Lackawanna County Prison, and are contesting the pending charges against them.