The mother of a Waco man who died in December 2007 after a struggle with two security guards has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the owners of the security firm.

Sandra Marie Lockhart, of Waco, the mother of Orlando Gamble, is seeking unspecified damages in her lawsuit, filed this week in Waco’s 74th State District Court.

While the suit refers to two security guards as “John Doe 1” and “John Doe 2,” it also names as defendants Richard Renschler Jr. and Thomas W. Renschler, brothers who own Texas Star Security.

The lawsuit, filed by Corpus Christi attorney John Flood, gives limited details but alleges that Gamble “suffered and died as a result of traumatic asphyxia and blunt-force injures associated with restraint.”

The suit alleges that Doe 1 and Doe 2 inflicted the blunt-force injuries and restrained Gamble, which ultimately led to his death.

Richard Renschler said Wednesday that Gamble has a lengthy criminal record, adding that it is his company’s job to prevent unwanted trespassers from gaining access to the properties where its guards are employed.

Waco court records show that Gamble was sentenced to six years in prison for cocaine possession in September 1996 and to 10 years in prison in August 1997 for manslaughter.

According to Waco police reports of the incident, Gamble drove up to the Parkside Apartments in the 1200 block of North Ninth Street about 9 p.m. and was met by the two security guards, who asked him what he was doing there.

Gamble, 32, reportedly told them that he was there to see a friend but could not name him when asked. One of the guards reportedly saw what he thought were drugs in Gamble’s car, according to police reports, and asked Gamble to step out of the car.

Gamble reportedly got out and started running toward the apartment complex and was tackled a short time later by the guards, according to the reports. After a brief struggle, Gamble “just went limp,” police reports indicate. He died later at a local hospital.

Renschler said that if Gamble had run away from the complex instead of toward it, his officers would not even have pursued him. However, when he ran toward the complex, his officers were just doing their jobs, Renschler said.

“My security guards did a great job,” Renschler said. “They got this man who wasn’t supposed to be there off the property. That was their job.”

Waco police spokesman Steve Anderson said his agency is carrying the case as a questionable death and sent the file to the McLennan County district attorney’s office for screening in March 2008. No arrests have been made.

Assistant District Attorney Mark Parker said the matter is awaiting presentation to a grand jury to decide whether further action should be taken. The investigating officer has since moved to New York, Parker said, adding that is part of the reason that the case remains pending.

twitherspoon@wacotrib.com

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