LYNNWOOD, Wash. (AP) - The family of man shot and killed by Lynnwood police has settled a lawsuit against the officer for $1.75 million.
The Seattle Times reports that a dozen witnesses questioned the actions of Officer Zachary Yates who fatally shot 36-year-old Jeremy Dowell, a man with mental-health issues who was shot as he wielded a knife on Highway 99 last year.
Seattle attorneys Ed Budge and Erik Heipt filed the federal lawsuit in May, calling the officer’s actions outrageous. Witnesses disputed the official version of events, with many saying Dowell never directly threatened Yates and that Yates kept shooting even when Dowell was helpless or stumbling.
The city of Lynnwood’s insurance risk pool paid the settlement. The city made no admission of wrongdoing on the officer’s part.
Yates told investigators he stopped his car and began chasing Dowell on foot after receiving reports that Dowell had threatened two people at a rug store. He said Dowell turned toward him with the knife.
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Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com
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