SEATTLE — The City of Seattle will pay the family of Che Taylor $1.5 million to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit filed after two police officers shot and killed Taylor outside a Wedgwood neighborhood home in 2016.
Two months ago, a judge ordered the case to trial after evidence raised questions about whether Taylor was actually armed when he was shot.
King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg declined to file criminal charges against Michael Spaulding and Todd Miller, saying the officers had perceived their lives were in danger on Feb. 21, 2016, as they tried to arrest Taylor for being a felon in unlawful possession of a handgun.
An inquest jury in 2017 agreed that the two officers felt their lives were in danger when they shot and killed Taylor. Miller testified that he fired his shotgun once. Spaulding fired his rifle six times. Both Miller and Spaulding testified they saw Taylor reach for a gun before shooting him.
Evidence showed Taylor did not have a gun on him at the time of the shooting. A handgun was recovered from the passenger seat of the sedan Taylor was next to.
Che Taylor’s brother, Andre Taylor, formed the group “Not This Time” after his killing. The organization pushes for the reduction of police violence and policing reform.