SEATTLE ON TRIAL: Black teen shot dead in CHAZ zone would have SURVIVED if City didn’t install barricades, medics didn’t flee: medical expert

Antonio Mays Jr., a black teenager from California, was fatally shot on June 29, 2020, during the early morning hours within the Antifa-BLM Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, also known as CHAZ or CHOP, which was established following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. The lawsuit, Mays v. City of Seattle, alleges that the city's actions—or lack thereof—created a "state-created danger" that contributed to Mays' death.

During the trial, the medical expert detailed the extent of Mays' injuries. The teen, shot by self-declared "CHAZ security," sustained multiple gunshot wounds, including to the head, jaw, chest, and extremities. The expert testified that Mays would have "survived" his injuries if he had received timely medical intervention, highlighting a critical delay in medical response. His death was due to obstructed airways rather than the brain injury itself, according to medical records entered as evidence.

"It was not the brain injury that was the lethal event," the expert stated, emphasizing that timely intervention to clear his airways could have saved his life. Mays endured over 25 minutes of "agonizing pain" before receiving care, a period the expert attributed to several factors. This included protesters transporting Mays having difficulty in navigating around the CHAZ/CHOP barricades, installed by the City of Seattle, which obstructed timely medical access, and medics "abandoning" Mays after fleeing the "designated casualty area," further delaying treatment.

Robyn McKinley, a veteran EMS professional who conducted an independent investigation into Seattle Fire's response to the shooting, previously testified that medics failed to follow protocol by leaving their post when protesters arrived with Mays. McKinley's account aligns with the medical expert's assertion that the delay in airway management was catastrophic. "The best thing for the preservation of his brain is intervening in his airway," the expert explained, underscoring the importance of rapid response.

The trial has also revealed that Seattle police were under direct orders not to enter the autonomous zone following the shooting, a directive that contributed to the delay in both medical and law enforcement response. Detective Alan Cruise testified earlier that officers were prohibited from entering the area, which the plaintiffs argue exacerbated the lawlessness and hindered critically necessary intervention.

Attorney Evan Oshan, representing the Mays family, is arguing that the city's negligence in managing the protest zone directly contributed to Antonio's death. The medical expert's testimony bolsters this claim, suggesting that with proper emergency medical care, Mays could have survived. The expert described Mays' death as "catastrophically painful," noting that he was breathing and had a pulse when the so-called "CHOP medics" initially arrived at the designated area, but deteriorated due to the lack of timely intervention.

This case marks the first CHAZ/CHOP-related lawsuit to go to trial, following a series of settlements in other cases involving fatalities and injuries within the zone. The city's defense has attempted to argue that Mays was committing a felony at the time of the shooting, a claim the plaintiffs contest. Additionally, city attorneys told the 15-panel jury that the sole responsibility for Mays' death lies with the shooters. Authorities have not yet arrested a suspect in this case.