I would have said, “why should I fight you, when you’re about to make me a very wealthy man?” That might have caused them to think twice. Or maybe not, considering.
Or they may have just killed him.
“That might have caused them to think twice”.
Unfortunately, government officials and employees don’t have any reason to worry about suffering any personal consequences due to their bad decision making.
If you sue them and win you and your fellow taxpayers will have the privilege of paying the judgement. At the same time they have the luxury of being able to spend unlimited taxpayer money in defending themselves and in many cases they will try to beat you into submission by the sheer weight of having to devote all your time and money in legal battles.