Verdict in Seattle Shooting Case

A man was convicted on Thursday for the shooting death of a 16-year-old during the Black Lives Matter protests in Seattle in 2020, according to various media outlets.

As decided by the civil jury, the family of Antonio Mays Jr. will receive around $30 million after he was shot on June 29, 2020. This incident occurred after police allowed protesters to occupy what became known as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ). Jurors determined that the city’s handling of the unrest was “negligent,” which included pulling police from the area and ceding control to the demonstrators. This situation led to the establishment of a makeshift enclave complete with armed security.

The City Attorney’s Office did not respond to inquiries from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The boy’s father, Antonio Mays Sr., expressed mixed emotions about the verdict. He was seen being comforted by his lawyer in the courtroom. “I can’t say it feels good,” he stated at a later press conference, according to the Seattle Times. “Just because it’s not done doesn’t mean it’s done. I’m grateful for the verdict, I’m grateful for the success, but I don’t think I’m done.”

Mays Jr. reportedly lost his life inside a Jeep he was accused of stealing. The shooting that resulted in his death, as well as injuries to a 14-year-old boy, was described as a critical moment that prompted city officials to dismantle CHAZ. The case remains unresolved, with no arrests made.

The city had previously settled with businesses that experienced looting during the CHAZ occupation and with a whistleblower who alleged retaliation after bringing to light the deletion of former Mayor Jenny Durkan’s text messages about the situation.

A 14-year-old boy who was also shot alongside Mays Jr. had filed a lawsuit against Seattle, citing severe medical issues, including brain damage, but that case was dropped in August. The city contended that his memory issues impaired his ability to testify reliably.