SEATTLE — A King County jury has ruled that the city of Seattle must pay over $30 million in damages linked to the fatal shooting of a teenager during the 2020 Capitol Hill Occupied Protest, which emerged in the wake of George Floyd’s death. The decision followed extensive deliberations, concluding that city officials displayed negligence in their emergency response to the shooting of 16-year-old Antonio Mays Jr.
After more than 12 days of discussions, the jury determined that the city’s inaction contributed significantly to Mays’ death. Witnesses reported that, after the shooting, they attempted to transport him to medical assistance using a private vehicle, eventually encountering emergency medics only after a delay of around 24 minutes.
Mays was shot in the head while sitting in a stolen vehicle near the protest area, alongside a 14-year-old passenger. Attorneys representing Mays’ family contended that a timely medical intervention might have saved his life. In contrast, city representatives argued that Mays’ injuries were too severe for survival, asserting that the protocol followed during the chaos of the protest was not the decisive factor in his death.
The jury awarded $4 million to Mays’ estate and $26 million to his father, Antonio Mays Sr., who was visibly emotional as the verdict was read. The ruling highlighted a turbulent period in Seattle’s history when activists took over an extensive area in Capitol Hill, advocating for racial justice and calling for police reform following Floyd’s murder by police in Minneapolis.
The Capitol Hill Occupied Protest, or CHOP, controlled about eight city blocks and was a focal point for demonstrations during June 2020, occurring at a time of heightened tension and dissent in the United States. The protest zone drew national attention and criticism, including from then-President Donald Trump, who criticized the perceived lawlessness in the city as anarchistic.
In the aftermath of Mays’ death, city officials moved to dismantle the protest area, especially following the increased violence, which included additional shootings. The shooting incident itself was partly recorded on a livestream, which offered a harrowing account of the chaos but did not reveal the identity of the shooter. Despite calls for justice, no arrests have been made, and no charges have been filed related to the shooting.
Mays had traveled to Seattle from Southern California with aspirations of participating in the civil rights movement. His father reported him missing shortly after discovering a note in which Mays expressed a desire to make him proud without disclosing his specific plans.
Judge Sean O’Donnell presided over the case and restricted the city’s defense, ruling that the basis of Mays committing a felony by stealing the vehicle would not absolve the city of liability. The judge stated that the connection between the alleged theft and the subsequent shooting was not substantiated.
In a response after the verdict, the city attorney’s office expressed condolences regarding Mays’ tragic death and indicated that it was reviewing potential legal options moving forward.