No Charges Filed For Police Shooting That Killed Said Joquin

LAKEWOOD, WA — A Lakewood Police Department officer who shot and killed a man in May 2020 will not face charges for the shooting, after review found the officer acted within the bounds of the law.

On the afternoon of May 1, 2020, officers Michael Wiley and Zachary Schuelle pulled over Ford Thunderbird driven by Said Joquin after Joquin failed to stop at a stop sign on Steilacoom Boulevard. After pulling the vehicle over, Wiley saw a handgun resting on the floor of Joquin's vehicle, warned him to keep his hands on his head and called for backup. According to court documents, after a brief conversation Joquin leaned forward, apparently reaching for the gun, and Wiley opened fire, shooting Joquin four times.

An ambulance rushed Joquin to Tacoma General, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The Cooperative Cities Crime Response Unit was then called in to review the shooting and Wiley's use of deadly force. Based on its report, Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney Mary Robnett announced she would not be filing charges against Wiley for the shooting, concluding that his "use of deadly force, in reaction to an immediate deadly threat, was justified and lawful.”

"A reasonable officer would have considered Mr. Joquin a lethal threat upon seeing him reach for the gun in express disregard of clear and direct commands by an armed officer not to do so," Robnett wrote. "Officer Wiley's response was consistent with the applicable good faith standard."

This is not the first time Wiley's conduct has been under review. Back in 2013, Wiley led a SWAT team that blew open the back door of Leonard Tomas' home in Fife and shot and killed his dog, the News Tribune reported. Thomas was killed by a sniper. A federal jury ruled that police committed 14 civil rights violation during the incident, and the city paid Thomas' family a $13.1 million settlement to end a wrongful death lawsuit.

That Wiley has been linked to the deaths of two Black men has caused some to question his fitness as an officer, the News Tribune reported, and a change.org petition asking for him to be fired has gained over 2,400 signatures.

Following Robnett's decision not to press charges, Lakewood Mayor Jason Whalen issued a statement on the ruling thanking investigators for their work and extending sympathies to Joquin's family. It reads:

“We are grateful that this matter is now completed and that the independence and thoroughness of the investigation will encourage public confidence in the process as required by State law. Notwithstanding the City’s appreciation for the completion of the independent investigation, we extend our continued sympathies to the Joquin family for the loss of their loved one.”