Charleena Lyles was shot and killed by Seattle Police Department officers in June 2017. Our firm was hired to represent her estate and four children and filed a lawsuit on September 8, 2017. On January 4, 2019, the trial court dismissed this case on summary judgment – holding as a matter of law that the case should not be heard by a jury and should be dismissed.
Finally, today, the Court of Appeals heard arguments regarding (1) whether the officers owed a duty of reasonable care to Charleena, and (2) whether the felony-defense rule barred a claim.*
Our steadfast position has always been (1) yes – the officers and SPD owed Charleena the duty of reasonable care – and to act in accordance with their own policies and procedures, and (2) no, the felony defense rule does not bar a claim in this case.
After seeing and protesting police brutality over the last year especially, this day in court couldn’t come fast enough. We’re so proud of Ed Moore and our team for the relentless dedication and passion to this cause and our client.
You can watch the video of oral argument here – https://www.tvw.org/watch/?clientID=9375922947&eventID=2021011035
*Our briefing includes a number of other issues. If you’re interested, please feel free to contact Melanie Nguyen or our firm for a copy.