The Honorable US District Judge Thomas Zilly set a tentative trial date of 15 Sep after an appeals court rejected Seattle Police Officer Christopher Myers' claim of qualified immunity. The lawsuit names a second officer as a defendant and accuses the Seattle Police Department of demonstrating "deliberate indifference" by not getting Myers " who fired his gun in four separate encounters from 2010 to 2019, three of which were fatal " "professional, mental, or other help to assure he stops shooting people." Myers has not been disciplined or charged with any crimes in connection with those shootings. The mother of murdered Ryan Smith (31) filed the lawsuit against Christopher Myers which was affirmed by the USDJ Thomas Zilly, a Ronald Reagan appointment.
Seattle Police Officers Christopher Myers (pictured below) and Ryan Becroft responded to a 911 call. Body camera video shows them ordering the suspect to open the door. Seconds later, after he did not comply, they kicked it down. In the video, the suspect, a patient suffering from mental issues, can be seen walking slowly with what appears to be a knife in his hand. The officers order him to put his hands up, to get on the ground and to drop the knife. Before the victim could comply and all within six seconds, Myers fired eight shots. The second officer, Ryan Beecroft, fired twice. The victim, a young man of color named Ryan Smith (31), was hit seven times and died. The use of a Taser, aerosol irritant, or unarmed defensive tactics would have sufficed to ensure compliance, rather than opening fire on Ryan Smith like a scene from Pulp Fiction.
