EXCLUSIVE: New court filings detail explosive clash in Antonio Mays Jr trial as Seattle faces mounting liability for his 2020 CHOP death

On December 21, attorneys for the Mays family filed a Notice of Filing Declarations Regarding a December 18, 2025, Courtroom Incident, submitting sworn statements from multiple eyewitnesses, including medical experts, family members, and counsel, describing what they characterize as an unprovoked verbal outburst by Assistant Seattle City Attorney Alexandra Nica during a court recess.

The filings follow earlier reporting by The Post Millennial's Katie Daviscourt, detailing how chaos erupted in a King County courtroom last week when Nica accused plaintiffs’ attorney Evan Oshan of “gender discrimination and harassment” after devastating expert testimony portrayed the City of Seattle as legally responsible for the fatal shooting of Mays inside the deadly Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) in June 2020.

According to sworn declarations, the incident occurred while Judge Sean O’Donnell was off the bench and the court was in recess. Evan Oshan states that while he was working at the counsel table, Nica called out to him. He asked if she could speak with his paralegal, Sunny Oshan, who handles witness coordination. Nica allegedly became “immediately hostile,” accused him of misogyny, stated she would not be treated “like a secretary,” and demanded through the bailiff that the judge return to the courtroom immediately.

Sunny Oshan corroborated this account, stating that Nica refused to speak with her because she viewed her role as beneath her, despite simultaneously accusing Evan Oshan of gender bias. Sunny Oshan described the conduct as “deeply ironic” and said she had never witnessed an attorney refuse to speak to her while claiming victimhood under the guise of gender discrimination.

Two medical experts who testified in the case also submitted declarations describing the incident as unprofessional and extreme. Dr. Mark Liker, a neurosurgeon with extensive courtroom experience, stated that Nica’s reaction was “wildly disproportionate” to a routine request and amounted to an aggressive verbal attack. He emphasized that he observed no conduct by Oshan that could reasonably be construed as misogynistic and described Nica’s behavior as disruptive to courtroom decorum.

Similarly, Dr. Santa J. Bartholomew, a board-certified pediatric critical care physician, submitted both a declaration and a contemporaneous letter written the day of the incident. In the letter, Bartholomew described Nica’s conduct as a “diatribe” and stated that, as a physician, he would “qualify her behavior as a tantrum.” He further noted that he is well-acquainted with real misogyny in professional settings and saw “nothing remotely misogynistic” in Oshan’s actions.

Michael Mays Jr., the uncle of Antonio Mays Jr., also filed a declaration recounting his firsthand observations. He stated that he was “horrified” by Nica’s behavior toward court staff and opposing counsel and further alleged that during the trial he heard her make remarks he found racially offensive, including comments about prosecuting a deceased person and questioning the skin color of Ethiopians. He described her demeanor throughout the proceedings as insensitive to the death of his nephew.

As previously reported by The Post Millennial, the courtroom clash unfolded against the backdrop of mounting evidence against the City of Seattle for its handling of the CHAZ.

Antonio Mays Jr. was shot multiple times by self-described CHAZ “security” members in the early morning hours of June 29, 2020. Expert testimony has stated that Mays would likely have survived had emergency responders been allowed timely access. Instead, medics reportedly retreated from a city-designated casualty collection point due to “perceived danger,” while barricades installed by the city delayed transport for approximately 25 minutes, time experts say proved fatal.

The plaintiffs argue that Seattle created a “state-created danger” by abandoning police presence, erecting barricades that blocked emergency access, and ordering first responders to stand down. The City denies liability, contending that responsibility lies solely with the shooters.

As the testimony piled up against Seattle, Daviscourt described Nica’s behavior as “increasingly unhinged.” In an emotional rant without jurors present, she complained that Oshan refuses to speak to her, turns his chair away, and ignores her questions, insisting this "only happens to me" because she's a woman. She demanded that Judge Sean O'Donnell enforce prior sanctions against Oshan for alleged "gender conduct."

But Oshan exposed Nica's own hypocritical attacks, stating, "Throughout this litigation, Ms. Nica has attacked me on the basis of my gender. She has called me a 'mansplainer' multiple times in court documents...She called me a 'boar.'"

Oshan accused Nica of "weaponizing" gender against him in "textbook harassment," and requested Judge O'Donnell impose new sanctions against Nica. However, the judge deferred rulings to written briefs.