EVERETT — The family of Niles Meservey, the man shot to death by an Everett police officer last year behind the Chuckwagon Inn, said they want to prevent similar tragedies.
On Wednesday, Meservey’s surviving daughter filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Everett, seeking in part to enhance police officer training.
Meservey, 51, was killed during a June 10 drunken-driving stop by Everett police officer Troy Meade.
Meade is charged with manslaughter. It’s the first time a police officer has been charged in a line-of-duty killing in Snohomish County history.
Detectives believe Meade was attempting to prevent Meservey from driving off, according to a lengthy investigation by the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team, a group of seasoned homicide detectives.
Patrons twice called police to report that Meservey was drunk and attempting to drive. Police who first arrived at the scene didn’t find Meservey. Investigators believe he was drinking at another nearby tavern.
Meade responded to the second call and found Meservey sitting inside his Chevrolet Corvette. Meservey was uncooperative and refused to get out of the car. Meade twice fired his electronic stun gun at Meservey through the driver’s window. Meservey recovered from the electric shocks and started up his car and rammed a chain-link fence.
Another police officer who witnessed the encounter said he heard Meade say, “Time to end this; enough is enough,” just before he shot Meservey.
Meservey had a blood-alcohol level that was three-times the legal limit of 0.08, the report found.
Tanda Louden, Meservey’s daughter, filed a claim for damages with the city in September for up to $15 million. The lawsuit filed Wednesday is the next step in the legal proceedings. The claim doesn’t specify the amount of damages sought.
“The majority of police do their job well, but when they don’t do their job well and don’t follow the rules, they should be held accountable just like anyone else,” said Paul Luvera, a Seattle-based trial attorney representing Meservey’s family. He praised the detailed investigation into the Meservey shooting by local police and prosecutors.
Luvera is nationally known for winning large settlements for his clients. Among other cases, Luvera won $12 million for the survivors of the wife of former Tacoma Police Chief David Brame. He killed the woman before turning the gun on himself. The suit also required Tacoma to implement changes in its training and procedures, Luvera said.
He’s hoping for a similar outcome in Everett.
“The police department and the city have a responsibility to ensure their staff is properly trained and prepared to carry out their duties,” Luvera said. “This case calls into question the training of Everett police officers in the use of deadly force.”
On the advice of attorneys, Everett police so far have refused to discuss the case.
Settling the case won’t be an option until Louden receives answers to her questions about Meade’s training, Luvera said. She wants to know why this incident occurred and what Everett officials are doing to prevent a repeat.
“I’ve lost my father, my kids are without a grandfather, and there’s nothing we can do to bring him back,” Louden said. “Our hope through this lawsuit is to bring awareness to issues of excessive and deadly force and hopefully prevent this type of incident from happening to other families.”
Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437, jholtz@heraldnet.com.
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