Che Taylor's family files civil rights suit against city of Seattle
The family of Che Taylor has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Seattle and the police officers who shot him.
Plainclothes officers killed Taylor in the Wedgewood neighborhood two years ago.
During an inquest, the officers said they tried to arrest Taylor because he was illegally carrying a gun.
The officers said they fired after Taylor failed to comply with their commands.
The inquest jury disagreed but still found the shooting justified.
King County prosecutors declined to charge the officers.
The lawsuit, filed by attorney James Bible, says the city violated Taylor’s civil rights.
The suit says Taylor, who was African American, was given conflicting commands and was shot when he tried to follow one of them.
Taylor was standing beside a car when he was shot.
The suit says the two people inside it also did not comply with police orders but were not shot.
They were white.
Read the full federal lawsuit below:
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Gil Aegerter
Gil edits feature pieces and helps guide staff reporters through their stories. He previously served as interim digital director and online managing editor at KUOW. Before that he spent seven years with NBCNews.com, where he was variously a senior editor, editor-producer and features editor. He also worked 25 years as a newspaper editor in Anchorage, Alaska, San Diego, Wilmington, N.C., and Seattle. He also was a freelance researcher for NBC Olympics for the Games in Atlanta; Sydney, Australia; Salt Lake City; Athens; and Torino, Italy. He is a graduate of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, with a degree in photojournalism.
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