From [HERE] The family of a 26-year-old Black man shot to death by a Lakewood police officer during a traffic stop has settled a lawsuit after the city agreed to pay his family $8 million Thursday.

Said Joquin died May 1, 2020, after officer Michael Wiley pulled him over for running a stop sign. His death sparked community protests.

The settlement now brings the total payment for deaths involving Wiley to $21 million. A previous case involving the death of Fife resident Leonard Thomas was settled for $13 million.

“The result brings some justice to the family,” said attorney Jack Connelly, who handled both cases.

TRAFFIC STOP

On May 1, 2020, at approximately 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon, Wiley and another Lakewood police officer stopped Joquin’s vehicle after seeing him run a stop sign, according to a statement released by the investigative team. According to a tort claim filed by Joquin’s family, Wiley rear-ended Joquin’s car and approached him with gun drawn, saying “shut the fuck up or you’ll get shot.” According to a statement by investigators, officers saw a gun on the floor of the vehicle. The officers held both Joquin and his passenger at gunpoint waiting for backup, according to the statement. [MORE]

12. Officers parked in such a manner that the shooting was not captured on the dashcam video of Officer Schueller. Defendant Wiley's vehicle was not equipped with video or audio.

13. After officers learned that there was a firearm in the vehicle under the driver's seat, still in its case, they immediately escalated the situation, drawing their weapons and pointing them at Said and his passenger, Angel Vargas.

14. Said had his hands up as he was directed to do so and responded to Defendant Wiley, which was captured on audio recording that he did not want to get shot. Wiley continued to escalate the situation, regardless of the fact that Said posed no threat of harm. Wiley improperly set up a situation in which he ordered Said to put Said's hands on Said's head and told Said he was going to get shot. "Keep your hands on your head. You're going to get shot dude."

15. Defendant Wiley held his gun, trained on Said for a prolonged period of several minutes as Said complied with officer commands. After several minutes of an unnecessarily escalated and heightened circumstance with guns aimed at Said and Angel, Defendant Wiley ultimately fired four rounds at close range into Said's body, upper chest and arm, killing him.

16. Defendant Wiley killed Said because Said moved his hands. Wiley later tried to claim that Said "lunged" for the gun, but this never happened. The gun was in a closed holster under the seat and not available for use. Defendant Wiley improperly handled the situation and killed Said for moving his hands. As a result of the wrongful and negligent shooting, Said was declared dead at the hospital.

17. This complaint is filed against the City of Lakewood for its unreasonable failure to maintain a properly trained police force, its negligent retention of officers who had been found to have previously wrongfully killed a citizen, its failure to properly train its officers regarding the proper use of deadly force and how to handle a situation without unnecessarily escalating it and its deliberate indifference to the constitutional rights of citizens, including Plaintiffs.

Defendant Wiley was left on the LPD police force in 2017 even after having committed multiple civil rights violations, having punitive damages assessed against him, and having wrongfully killed an unarmed citizen.

Joquin’s family didn’t believe Wiley’s story. “I feel like it was overkill,” Dawn Kortner, Joquin’s mother, said in 2021. “He took steps that shouldn’t have been taken. I feel like he was being overly aggressive, and I want him to be held accountable for what he did. He shouldn’t get a pension and sit at home and enjoy his kids when we can’t enjoy Said anymore.”

In 2022, Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney Mary Robnett declined to file charges against Wiley for Joquin’s death. In a letter sent to Lakewood Police Chief Mike Zaro, she detailed why she believed Wiley was justified in killing Joquin. The letter discusses Joquin’s “unpredictable and dangerous behavior” by running a stop sign on a busy road in front of police, bullet trajectory evidence showing the 26-year-old no longer had his hands on his head when shot by Wiley and a handgun found on the floorboard near Joquin’s feet. An internal investigation had already found Wiley’s actions in the Joquin shooting to be within policy. Wiley is still employed as a Lakewood Police officer, according to city spokesperson Brynn Grimley.