A King County jury has found the City of Seattle negligent in connection with the 2020 shooting death of 16-year-old Antonio Mays Jr. inside the Capitol Hill protest zone known at the time as CHAZ or CHOP, awarding roughly $30 million to his estate and family.
The verdict follows a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Mays estate, arguing that city decisions surrounding the protest zone created dangerous conditions and delayed emergency care after the teen was shot in the early morning hours of June 29, 2020. Jurors concluded the city’s negligence was a proximate cause of Mays’ death.
Mays, who had traveled to Seattle from California, was shot while riding in a vehicle near the protest zone. A second teen in the vehicle was also shot and survived. The shooting has not resulted in arrests or criminal charges, leaving the case unsolved more than five years later.
A central focus at trial was the emergency response. Accounts presented in coverage describe bystanders attempting to move Mays for medical help because first responders had not yet entered the protest area. Attorneys for the family argued that faster, more direct medical intervention could have changed the outcome, citing expert testimony that airway management and timely treatment were critical.
The lawsuit also challenged the broader public safety posture during the occupation. The family’s position was that the city effectively ceded control of the area and created barriers and policies that complicated law enforcement and medical access when violence occurred.
