The city of Portland has reached a settlement of $3.75 million with the family of Immanueal Jaquez Clark, an unarmed man who was shot in the back by a police officer in November 2022.
Juan Chavez, an attorney representing Clark’s family, confirmed the settlement on Friday, which is awaiting approval from the city council in a vote scheduled for next Thursday.
The lawsuit, filed in March against the city and the Police Bureau in the U.S. District Court in Portland, claims that police officers lacked reasonable suspicion of criminal activity when they surrounded Clark’s vehicle nearly two miles away from where an armed robbery had occurred.
On November 19, 2022, Officer Christopher Sathoff shot and killed Clark as he attempted to flee from the police, who had approached his sedan under the mistaken belief that it was involved in an armed robbery outside a fast-food restaurant.
Clark, 30, was driving the car and did not fit the description of the suspects provided by a robbery victim, who described the robbers as “definitely white.” Additionally, the occupants in Clark’s car included two Black men, a white man, and a white woman, further emphasizing the discrepancies.
The confrontation began when a police sergeant spotted Clark’s gray sedan speeding, prompting officers to surround the car as it came to a stop in a church parking lot. As police approached, Clark and another man fled the scene while the third occupant remained in the vehicle and a woman approached the officers.
In response, Officer Sathoff fired three shots in quick succession from his issued AR-15 rifle as Clark ran. According to police records, the city’s internal investigation found that Sathoff had violated departmental policies regarding the use of deadly force.
Internal affairs investigator Stacey Rovinelli concluded that officers had no probable cause connecting Clark to the alleged armed robbery. She indicated that the available facts at the time did not justly warrant the officers’ actions, noting that Sathoff’s rapid firing contradicted his training to assess circumstances between individual shots.
Despite these findings, leadership within the Police Bureau sided with Sathoff, referencing the Graham standard, which evaluates claims of excessive force from the perspective of reasonable officers present at the scene, rather than with hindsight.
Both Sathoff and Officer Israel Holsti, who was next to him, believed Clark was armed and attempting to draw a weapon from his waistband or pocket. This belief was influential in the outcome of the investigation.
The Police Review Board, which includes both police personnel and city residents, was split in its assessment of whether the use of deadly force was justified. Ultimately, the majority concluded that the shooting fell within policy, a decision backed by Police Chief Bob Day and supported by then-Mayor Ted Wheeler.
The fatal shooting of Clark and the subsequent legal response has highlighted ongoing concerns regarding policing and the grounds for the use of lethal force, particularly in situations with unarmed individuals.
At the time of the incident, an ambulance was reportedly delayed from providing medical assistance to Clark, with medics arriving approximately 26 minutes after he was shot.
Tragically, Clark succumbed to his injuries two days later at OHSU Hospital, prompting public outcry and ultimately leading to the lawsuit.
As the city prepares to settle the wrongful death claim, the case reflects a heightened awareness and scrutiny concerning police practices and accountability in tragic encounters involving law enforcement.
This settlement, while significant, underscores the complexities of policing in communities and the need for continued dialogue on reform and transparency in police practices.
image source from：oregonlive
