Monfort's mother answers questions about her son

We’ve received this email from attorney Julie A. Lawry detailing a Q and A session with Suzan Monfort, the mother of Christopher Monfort, who has been charged with killing Officer Tim Brenton. We have not edited the questions or her responses:

How is Christopher doing?

Waiting for the doctor to respond to our call. We have heard different conditions but the family has not been given access to this information.

When do you expect he'll be released from the hospital?

We have no idea.

Can you tell us if he's walking?

We have been told he is paralyzed.

Have you talked to him? If so what has he said?

The family has been refused visitation.

Can you tell us about his life? Where did he grow up?

Until the 6th grade he lived in Indiana, we then moved to AK and he went to high school in Denver.

Is he an only child?

Yes.

What were his interests growing up - sports, school, hobbies?

As a little boy it was Scouts, baseball, football, playing outside with friends at any chance. He loved putting model cars and airplanes together. He developed a major interest in ariplanes and collected books on them and later learned to sky dive and as an adult learned to love scuba diving, motorcycling and he loved to travel. While in Community College he began to paint and loved to paint to music and won a prize for one of his paintings at the school. He also is a lover of music - all genres and taught himself guitar and would often give gifts of music to friends and family.

When did he move to the Seattle-area? Why here?

He came to Seattle to look at schools primarily in computer science about five years ago.

What are his goals in life?

Goals and interests became clearer while he was at Highline where he realized he was a very capable student. He became interested in law related classes and was mentored by a professor there.

Work, marriage, kids, relationships. Where is his father? Is he aware of what is going on?

His father lives in CA and just left Seattle. He had come up to see Chris but again the family has been denied access.

Has he been married before? Does he have any children?

No marriage, no children

How often did you speak to him since he moved to the Seattle-area? Did he visit often?

Mother and Chris spoke weekly on Sunday night. He also spoke very regularly to all members of his family - his cousins and aunts/uncles and grandmother. At any chance he would visit family cross country and attended family reunions... His mother came here throughout the year to visit Chris and Chris would visit in AK>

Did Christopher ever talk about pursuing a job in law enforcement or in criminal justice?

He applied to a CA police department when he was about 21 years old. His interest in criminal justice came later and recently through all of his school classes.

Where did his interest in criminal justice issues come from?

He was really excited to be accepted at the UW and it was there he began to think about law school but it became clear to him while consuling juvinile offenders as a class requirement that his talents lie more in teaching civil liberties - ways to keep young men from getting deeper into criminal system and wanted to be able to give them hope and not to give up....

Did he talk about his work with accused juvenile offenders and his studies at the University of Washington?

Often and to all of his family members.

What is the family's response to the charges and allegations made by the Prosecutor today?

All along the family has responded in shock and disbelief and incredible sadness and today's announcement is no different.

Prosecutor Satterberg said that Christopher has mounted "a one-man war against police." Do you think Christopher can get a fair trial?

We hope the criminal justice system will be fair and want to believe that it works but given the biased media response it is hard for us to believe he will ever get a fair trial.