Midway through 2020, the nation was in the throes of racially motivated chaos. In Seattle at that time, the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) was in full swing. A man was shot and killed during these protests in the Seattle CHOP zone, but his shooter was only recently taken into custody.
Surveillance video shows the defendant approach the victim with a gun and then give chase as the victim tried to run away. It also shows several individuals attempting to hold the defendant back. However, he got away and fired several shots at the victim.
The search for justice
Even though the alleged shooter is now in the hands of the Washington judicial system, the victim’s parents are still on the hunt for full justice.
When the shooting occurred, no first responders arrived to care for the victim, claiming that the scene was not yet secure. Instead, volunteers associated with CHOP had to transport the injured man to a hospital.
The victim’s parents have filed two lawsuits targeting the city of Seattle. According to the report, the lawsuits accuse the city of enabling a “dangerous environment to exist” and failing to aid the injured man.
We wanted to highlight this case because it shows that you do not have to rely on state-filed criminal charges to acquire justice for you or a harmed loved one. Crime victim litigation remains an option for families impacted by violence. In this case, Seattle may have played a contributing role in the death by failing to respond to an injury, thereby justifying the lawsuits.
If you are searching for full justice after suffering harm in a crime, we recommend learning more about crime victim litigation in Washington state.