SEATTLE — The family of an Edmonds man who lies in a coma filed a legal claim against the King County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, arguing that a deputy used excessive force against him during a May 10 chase in Belltown.
“This is a man who committed no crime and for unknown reasons ran from police officers,” said Sim Osborn, the attorney representing the family of Edmonds resident Christopher Harris, 29, who is under 24-hour care at an adult day-care facility.
The claim asks for $25 million to cover the cost of Harris’ around-the-clock care and emotional damage to his wife of two years, Sarah Jorgenson.
A claim is a first step before a lawsuit can be filed.
Two deputies working for Metro Transit chased Harris down an alley after a witness identified him as one of three men leaving a convenience store at Second Avenue and Bell Street in Belltown.
The family alleges that deputies Matthew Paul and Joseph Eshom chased Harris after a witness wrongly identified him as a suspect in a nearby street fight.
They say Harris began running before deputies identified themselves because he feared for his life. They also contend Harris suffered a debilitating head injury after Deputy Paul pushed him into a wall at the Cinerama movie theater.
A sheriff’s office investigation concluded in July that Paul acted within the law and that the department would not seek criminal charges against him.
King County prosecutor’s office spokesman Dan Donahoe said the county has no reason to charge Paul with a criminal offense.
“The law provides that an officer ‘shall not be held criminally liable for using force without malice and with a good-faith belief that such act is justifiable,’ ” Donahoe said in a prepared statement. “Christopher Harris was identified by witnesses to officers as a suspect in a violent crime. He ran for several blocks after he was told to stop by uniformed officers. As the deputy caught up to him, the deputy used a standard take-down procedure. As a result, no criminal charge can be filed.”
Paul and Eshom were on duty, assigned to Metro Transit where their job was to monitor buses on layover, said sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. John Urquhart. The sheriff’s office has a contract with Metro Transit to patrol buses and bus shelters, he said.
They wore the standard Metro Transit Police uniform, which is black and different from the uniforms worn by other deputies, Urquhart said.
“They were on foot patrol watching bus shelters in the Belltown area when they were flagged down by somebody who said there had been a stabbing or a robbery at a convenience store,” he said.
A visibly upset Jorgenson on Tuesday said she’s been at her husband’s bedside since the incident.
“I’ve lost my husband and my best friend,” she told reporters gathered for a press conference in Seattle. “He’s an only son and an only grandson who brought a lot of happiness and joy into our lives.”
She said she visits him daily. “I sit next to his bed all day,” she said. “I talk to him. I read to him. I make sure he’s being taken care of.”
The couple met as teenagers and started dating as students at Tumwater High School, Jorgenson said. They were married two years ago, 11 years after they began dating.
Jorgenson’s mother, Cindy Jorgenson, talked about her son-in-law, known to close friends and family by his middle name, Sean.
“I think Sean is like a son,” she said. “It’s just hard to get through this.”
Osborn said the family likely would have filed a claim even if the sheriff’s office sought criminal charges against Paul. Osborn will argue that testimony “calls into question” the account of the incident presented by police.
Harris’ legal bills are close to $1 million and doctors say he has suffered permanent brain damage that will require round-the-clock care for the rest of his life, Osborn said.
Sarah Jorgenson still wears a necklace with a promise ring Harris gave her before their engagement.
“When we decided to get married, he said that promise ring was his wedding ring,” she said. “He didn’t need anything else.”
Oscar Halpert: 425-339-3429; ohalpert@heraldnet.com.
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