AUBURN, Wash. — The family of a man shot and killed by Auburn police in 2019 have reached a settlement with the city.
The City of Auburn agreed to pay the family of 26-year-old Enosa Strickland Jr. $5.9 million to resolve a civil lawsuit.
"The parties elected to go to mediation rather than a lengthy trial to bring closure to this event," a statement from the city reads, in part. "This settlement is not an admission of any wrongdoing on the part of the City of Auburn."
The lawsuit was filed against the city and Officer Kenneth Lyman on April 20, 2022.
The lawsuit claimed Officer Lyman had an extensive history of using force and was carrying an unapproved and "illegal" dagger that he later claimed Strickland had grabbed and refused to drop during a struggle.
Officer Lyman shot Strickland while he was lying on the ground.
Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney Adam Cornell, who reviewed the case, ruled the shooting as justified in 2021.