.jpg){kind=link}
Ryan Stokes was killed in 2013 by a Kansas City police officer while running away and his family wanted justice. The officer pursuing him shot him two times in the back. The officer said he believed Stokes was a threat, but it turned out he was unarmed. It only got worse from there.
Officer William Thompson and Officer Tamara Jones were involved in the shooting and they were awarded commendations a year after Ryan was killed by Thompson. Though the awards were eventually rescinded, it was a slap in the face that wouldn’t be the last.
The family went after the police with a wrongful death lawsuit and tried to hold them accountable. Their lawsuit challenged the “excessive and deadly force” used by Thompson to kill Stokes, but Judge Brian C. Wimes just decided the amount of force used was “reasonable.”
To make matters worse, Judge Wimes granted the officer immunity. Stokes’ mother also included his daughter as a plaintiff in the lawsuit. Now the family plans to appeal the decision in order to keep pursuing justice for Ryan.
Though the police admit that the incident was “terribly tragic for the family members and all involved,” one has to wonder what accountability looks like. Though nothing can bring Ryan back, compensating the family would at least make an effort to address the harms caused.