Seattle was found liable Thursday for the shooting death of a 16-year-old during the violent unrest that engulfed the city amid Black Lives Matter riots in 2020, according to multiple media reports. The verdict marks a major legal reckoning over the city’s handling of the now-infamous Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, or CHAZ.
A civil jury awarded more than $30 million to the family of Antonio Mays Jr., who was fatally shot on June 29, 2020, while inside the self-declared autonomous zone. Jurors concluded that the City of Seattle was negligent in its response to the unrest, which saw city leaders withdraw police officers and allow rioters to seize control of several city blocks.
CHAZ emerged during weeks of unrest following nationwide protests tied to Black Lives Matter. In Seattle, police pulled back from the area, effectively surrendering it to protesters who set up what critics described as an anarchist commune. The zone operated with its own armed security forces, even as law enforcement was largely absent.
The jury’s decision found that the city’s actions, including the withdrawal of police and failure to restore order, directly contributed to the dangerous conditions that led to Mays Jr.’s death. The city attorney’s office did not respond to a request for comment following the verdict.
Emotional scenes unfolded in the courtroom as the verdict was read. Mays Jr.’s father, Antonio Mays Sr., was seen reacting visibly while being embraced by his attorney. Speaking later at a press conference, he said the ruling brought a measure of accountability but not closure.
“I can’t say that it feels good,” Mays Sr. said. “I can’t say that it feels complete because it doesn’t. I’m thankful for the verdict, I’m thankful for the success, but it doesn’t feel like a resolve.”
According to reporting, Mays Jr. was killed while inside a Jeep he was allegedly attempting to steal. Gunfire erupted, killing the teen and seriously wounding a 14-year-old who was with him. The shooting proved to be a turning point, prompting city leaders to finally order the dispersal of CHAZ. Despite the deadly violence, the case went unsolved, and no arrests were made.
The verdict adds to a growing list of legal and financial consequences stemming from Seattle’s handling of the 2020 unrest. The city has previously reached settlements with business owners whose properties were damaged or ransacked during the CHAZ occupation. It has also settled claims brought by city employees who alleged retaliation after raising concerns that text messages related to the crisis from former Democratic Mayor Jenny Durkan were deleted.
The 14-year-old who was wounded in the same shooting as Mays Jr. also filed a lawsuit against the city, citing severe and lasting medical problems, including a brain injury. That lawsuit was later withdrawn in August. According to reports, the city argued that the teen’s memory loss impaired his ability to testify accurately.
Thursday’s verdict underscores the long-term fallout from the CHAZ experiment and revives scrutiny of decisions made by city leaders during the height of the 2020 riots. For Mays Jr.’s family, the ruling represents acknowledgment of failure by the city, even as unanswered questions and unresolved pain remain.
