A former supervisor in the Cape May County Sheriff's Office has filed a lawsuit claiming that he was ordered to overlook the poor performance of an employee related to the prosecutor, shortcomings that may have resulted in a shooting, The Press of Atlantic City reported Wednesday.

David Tomkinson's lawsuit claims that Louis Taylor, who ran the county's electronic monitoring program, allowed an inmate under house arrest to attend a dog show. That inmate is now a suspect in a shooting that occurred in Middle Township last April, according to the suit.

Tomkinson had resigned before the shooting but was later contacted by police.

Tomkinson said he had repeatedly reported Taylor but that nothing was done. In one instance, according to the suit, Tomkinson was told by Sheriff Gary Schaffer he was aware of Taylor's poor performance but also felt that he "owed the prosecutor." Louis Taylor is the brother of Cape May County Prosecutor Robert Taylor.

"The lawsuit is without merit, and the county is going to defend it vigorously," said Schaffer, who is listed as a defendant in the suit.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.  

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