Lakewood Settles Lawsuit With Family Of Man Killed By Police

LAKEWOOD, WA - The family of Daniel Covarrubias, the 37-year-old Native American who was shot and killed by Lakewood police in 2015, on Wednesday settled its lawsuit against the city for $500,000 — just more than 3 percent of the family's original $15 million claim.

According to a report from the Seattle Times, the city opted to settle with family after mediation to "avoid a lengthy trial process that would be difficult for all involved," as explained by city spokesman Brynn Grimley.

Covarrubias was shot four times by two Lakewood officers on April 25, 2015, while he stood atop a stack of lumber at the Pinnacle Lumber Yard. While the family's lawsuit alleged racial bias was a factor in Covarrubias' death, the officers claimed he'd pointed what they believed to be gun, prompting their lethal response.

In truth, Covarrubias only possessed a cell phone at the time of his death, which followed a period of documented mental health crises that may have been precipitated by using methamphetamines, the Times reported.

The family's lawyer, Gabriel Galanda, said the officers' version of events were "completely concocted by the defendants and their union-appointed counsel," the Times reported, noting multiple witnesses at the scene said they could clearly see a cell phone in Covarrubias' hands.

Covarrubias' killing came two years after a similar incident in 2013, which saw a Lakewood police SWAT sniper kill 30-year-old Leonard Thomas in front of his 4-year-old son. For killing Thomas, an unarmed black man, the city paid more than $13 million when it settled its lawsuit with Thomas' family last year.

"Daniel's family sees this settlement as an admission of guilt," Galanda reportedly said Thursday. "A half-million dollar check does not issue without guilt."

Click here to read the full report from the Seattle Times.

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