Seattle ordered to pay $30 million in CHOP teen's death
Jury finds Seattle negligent in teen's CHOP death
On Thursday, a jury ordered the city of Seattle to pay more than $30 million for the death of Antonio Mays Jr., a 16-year-old who was fatally shot in the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) zone on June 29, 2020.
SEATTLE - A jury has found the city of Seattle negligent in the 2020 death of 16-year-old Antonio Mays Jr. in the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) zone.
The backstory:
Mays Jr. was shot outside the East Precinct on June 29, 2020, after Seattle police had abandoned the station amid protests in the wake of George Floyd's death.
Jurors concluded the teen was alive and conscious after being shot, and likely bled to death while medical help was slow to respond.
"It was a system failure that resulted in the death of Antonio Mays Jr.," said the Mays family's attorney, Evan Oshan. "Just a complete failure of acceptance and responsibility. And that’s unforgivable."
New video shows teen’s final moments as Seattle faces CHOP trial
Newly rediscovered footage captured the moments before and after 16-year-old Antonio Mays Jr. was shot during the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP).
Closing arguments in the civil trial were made on Jan. 8, and the jury deliberated for 12 days.
On Thursday, the jury ordered the city to pay more than $30 million, including $26 million to Mays Jr.’s father.
"I don’t wish anybody to ever have to fight for their kids the way I had to fight for mine," said Antonio Mays Sr., father of the CHOP shooting victim.
What they're saying:
Mays Sr., a California resident, has been in Seattle since Dec. 7 for the trial. He was overwhelmed with emotion as the verdict was read in court.
"The verdict came back that saw things correctly to administer some justice. Because my son's name was unfortunately being drug through the mud for five years. Thank god that's being cleared up. I can't say that feels good, I can't say it feels complete, because it doesn't," said Mays Sr.
In a statement, the Seattle City Attorney’s Office said, "Antonio Mays Jr.’s death was a tragedy. We will assess the city’s options going forward."
In response to the City Attorney's Office, Oshan said he believed the statement showed a lack of accountability.
"If you’re not going to accept responsibility, well, we may have to make you accept responsibility. So, if they’re going to file an appeal, believe me, we’re going to be right there with them," said Oshan.
The day after the shooting, former Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan declared CHOP was unlawful and police cleared the area.
FOX 13 reached out to Durkan as well as former Seattle police chief Carmen Best for their comment on the verdict.
City of Seattle found negligent in CHOP teen's death
The City of Seattle was ordered to pay $30 million to the estate of Antonio Mays Jr., deemed negligent in its response to the 2020 shooting in the Capitol hill Occupied Zone.
No arrests have been made in the shooting more than five years later.
"I heard from investigators maybe up to three months after it happened, and then it just went dark after that," said the teen's father.
For Mays Sr., he said he wants his firstborn son to be remembered as a strong, positive, proud, and hard-working young man.
"The ultimate void that will never be filled," said Mays Sr. "I got to live on without him. We had something special, me and my son, and we were long from done. I was learning from him and growing from him."
MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
Seattle-based Amazon to close Amazon Go, Amazon Fresh stores, shift focus
Gov. Ferguson, AG Brown write warning to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem
Treasured bible among stolen items returned after robbery in Pierce County
Man shot multiple times in Pierce County drive-by
Rivian amps up competition with Tesla, pledging $4.6M to WA ballot initiative
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
The Source: Information in this story came from the City of Seattle and previous FOX 13 Seattle reporting.