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The family of Jenoah Donald, a 30-year-old unarmed Black man who was fatally shot by a Washington deputy during a traffic stop, is set to receive $3.5 million to settle their federal civil rights lawsuit.
According to KGW, the Clark County Council voted on Wednesday (May 14) to approve a $3.5 million settlement for the family of Donald, who was killed in 2021 during a traffic stop over a faulty taillight. The settlement came just weeks before the federal civil rights case was set to go to trial.
"Jenoah's family wanted accountability," Donald's family attorney Mark Lindquist said in a statement. "This settlement provides accountability and closure."
Donald, who was autistic, died in February 2021, a week after being shot by Deputy Sean Boyle during a traffic stop.
After stopping Donald for a broken taillight, court documents state that Boyle ordered Donald out of his car. Boyle allegedly punched Donald in the face when he didn't immediately comply and broke his nose.
At one point during the struggle, Donald's car began rolling forward. The deputy moved outside the vehicle and fired two shots at Donald, hitting him in the head.
Donald's family argued that the deputy used excessive force during a traffic stop over a taillight.
"This outcome honors Jenoah Donald's life and underscores a simple truth: When officers ignore their training and resort to needless lethal force, they will be held accountable," attorney Angus Lee, who represented the family with Lindquist, said in a statement.
Boyle claimed that Donald grabbed his ballistic vest, potentially endangering him as the car rolled forward. However, attorneys for Donald's family said his DNA wasn't found on the deputy's vest.
Federal District Court Judge Kimberly Evanston previously denied the county's motion to dismiss the case, scheduling it to go to trial next month.
"Our hope is that accountability will result in better training and more prudent use of deadly force going forward," Lindquist said following the settlement.
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