Mays Sr. painted a vivid picture of their life together, describing it as similar to that of the famous Will Smith movie "The Pursuit of Happiness."
minute read
During the ongoing wrongful death trial against the City of Seattle, Antonio Mays Sr. broke down in tears while testifying about his 16-year-old son, Antonio Mays Jr., who was gunned down in the infamous Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, also known as CHAZ or CHOP, in 2020. On Tuesday, Mays Sr. described the unique bond he shared with his son, their shared dreams, and the devastating loss that followed the teen's decision to travel to what he believed was a peaceful "summer of love" festival.
The testimony came as part of the Mays v. City of Seattle lawsuit, where the family alleges the city's negligence in allowing the lawless CHOP zone to persist contributed to the young man's preventable death. Mays Sr., a single father who raised his son through hardship, recounted how Antonio Jr. left a note before departing California for Seattle, inspired by portrayals of the event as a non-violent gathering for racial justice. Through a cracked voice with tears streaming down his face, Mays Sr. told the jury he immediately reported his son missing to police, only to be notified days later of his son's tragic death.
Mays Sr. painted a vivid picture of their life together, describing it as similar to that of the famous Will Smith movie "The Pursuit of Happiness." The pair had overcome homelessness by building a BBQ sauce business called Scratch, with Antonio Jr. serving as his father's sole partner from the age of 7. The boy chopped vegetables, prepped ingredients, and eventually mastered cooking side dishes like asparagus at markets and festivals across California. "This was for you, boy," Mays Sr. recalled telling his son, emphasizing how the business was designed to give Antonio Jr. a head start in life. Their dream of seeing Scratch sauce on grocery store shelves came to fruition—but only after the teen's death, when prominent chains picked it up.
The emotional testimony highlighted the personal toll of the loss. Mays Sr. spoke of nightmares, sleepless nights, and the need to maintain a "double lifestyle" to shield his other children from his grief. "We did everything together," he said, explaining how everyday activities trigger memories of his son.
The CHOP/CHAZ zone emerged in June 2020 amid nationwide riots following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. On June 8, Seattle Police abandoned their east precinct in the Capitol Hill neighborhood after escalating riots by Antifa and Black Lives Matter activists, allowing occupiers to seize a six-block radius equipped with armed militants manning barricades. Then-Mayor Jenny Durkan, a Democrat, infamously dubbed it a "summer of love," and the city provided support, including barricades and portable toilets, ceding control. Over the 24-day occupation, the zone devolved into violence, with multiple shootings and homicides.
Antonio Mays Jr. was shot around 3 am on June 29, 2020, while in a stolen vehicle with a 14-year-old friend, identified as Robert West. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the head, jaw, chest, and extremities, allegedly fired by armed "CHOP security." West suffered a gunshot wound to the head but survived. Barricades installed by the city hindered transport to medical aid, and Seattle Fire medics fled the scene due to perceived threats, leaving the teen without immediate care for over 25 minutes.
A medical expert testified that Antonio Jr. likely would have survived if not for these delays, describing his death as "catastrophically painful" and accusing first responders of abandonment: "The system failed this young man." Police were prohibited from entering the zone until hours later, allowing documented evidence tampering.
The City of Seattle adopted a character assassination defense strategy, aiming to portray Antonio Jr. to the jury as an unlawful teen who was committing an alleged felony when he was shot and killed amid hundreds of rounds of gunfire directed at his vehicle. This is because the car he was in that night, a Jeep Cherokee, was reported stolen. However, previous witness testimony suggested that the Jeep Cherokee was a "CHOP pass-around" vehicle, a method utilized by self-proclaimed CHOP security that involved passing vehicles inside the zone to others posing as security.
Antonio Mays Jr. had no criminal record, and was not named as a suspect in the stolen Jeep case.
The testimony came as part of the Mays v. City of Seattle lawsuit, where the family alleges the city's negligence in allowing the lawless CHOP zone to persist contributed to the young man's preventable death. Mays Sr., a single father who raised his son through hardship, recounted how Antonio Jr. left a note before departing California for Seattle, inspired by portrayals of the event as a non-violent gathering for racial justice. Through a cracked voice with tears streaming down his face, Mays Sr. told the jury he immediately reported his son missing to police, only to be notified days later of his son's tragic death.
Mays Sr. painted a vivid picture of their life together, describing it as similar to that of the famous Will Smith movie "The Pursuit of Happiness." The pair had overcome homelessness by building a BBQ sauce business called Scratch, with Antonio Jr. serving as his father's sole partner from the age of 7. The boy chopped vegetables, prepped ingredients, and eventually mastered cooking side dishes like asparagus at markets and festivals across California. "This was for you, boy," Mays Sr. recalled telling his son, emphasizing how the business was designed to give Antonio Jr. a head start in life. Their dream of seeing Scratch sauce on grocery store shelves came to fruition—but only after the teen's death, when prominent chains picked it up.
The emotional testimony highlighted the personal toll of the loss. Mays Sr. spoke of nightmares, sleepless nights, and the need to maintain a "double lifestyle" to shield his other children from his grief. "We did everything together," he said, explaining how everyday activities trigger memories of his son.
The CHOP/CHAZ zone emerged in June 2020 amid nationwide riots following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. On June 8, Seattle Police abandoned their east precinct in the Capitol Hill neighborhood after escalating riots by Antifa and Black Lives Matter activists, allowing occupiers to seize a six-block radius equipped with armed militants manning barricades. Then-Mayor Jenny Durkan, a Democrat, infamously dubbed it a "summer of love," and the city provided support, including barricades and portable toilets, ceding control. Over the 24-day occupation, the zone devolved into violence, with multiple shootings and homicides.
Antonio Mays Jr. was shot around 3 am on June 29, 2020, while in a stolen vehicle with a 14-year-old friend, identified as Robert West. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the head, jaw, chest, and extremities, allegedly fired by armed "CHOP security." West suffered a gunshot wound to the head but survived. Barricades installed by the city hindered transport to medical aid, and Seattle Fire medics fled the scene due to perceived threats, leaving the teen without immediate care for over 25 minutes.
A medical expert testified that Antonio Jr. likely would have survived if not for these delays, describing his death as "catastrophically painful" and accusing first responders of abandonment: "The system failed this young man." Police were prohibited from entering the zone until hours later, allowing documented evidence tampering.
The City of Seattle adopted a character assassination defense strategy, aiming to portray Antonio Jr. to the jury as an unlawful teen who was committing an alleged felony when he was shot and killed amid hundreds of rounds of gunfire directed at his vehicle. This is because the car he was in that night, a Jeep Cherokee, was reported stolen. However, previous witness testimony suggested that the Jeep Cherokee was a "CHOP pass-around" vehicle, a method utilized by self-proclaimed CHOP security that involved passing vehicles inside the zone to others posing as security.
Antonio Mays Jr. had no criminal record, and was not named as a suspect in the stolen Jeep case.
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