Family of man killed by Washington officer files $25M claim

SEATTLE (AP) — The family of a North Carolina man killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in Washington state filed a $28 million wrongful-death claim.

The family of 26-year-old Said Joquin filed the claim against the city of Lakewood, its police chief and the officer, The Seattle Times reported Tuesday.

The claim alleges Joquin had his hands up when Officer Mike Wiley approached the vehicle with his gun drawn May 1.

Wiley told Joquin to shut up “or you’ll get shot” before firing three times and dragging Joquin from the car, the claim said.

Wiley told investigators he believed Joquin was reaching for a handgun on the floor of the vehicle after Wiley pulled him over for running a stop sign in the city 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Tacoma.

The tort claim filed by Tacoma civil-rights attorney Jack Connelly on behalf of Dawn Kortner, Joquin’s mother from Fayetteville, North Carolina, puts the city on notice that a lawsuit may be filed unless the claim is resolved.

The city has 60 days to respond.

Lakewood spokesperson Brynn Grimley said the city would comment after the completion of an ongoing investigation into the shooting.