Family of man killed by Portland State police plans to sue

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – The wife and daughters of a man fatally shot by Portland State University officers near the campus are planning to sue the university.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports a law firm representing Jason Washington’s family notified the university of the pending lawsuit in a letter Tuesday.

The formal notice lists other potential defendants including the university’s Campus Public Safety Office; officers James Dewey and Shawn McKenzie; the school’s then police chief Donnell Tanksley; and former university president Rahmat Shoureshi.

A university spokeswoman declined to comment.

Police body camera footage shows the officers shot Washington in a chaotic scene as Washington tried to break up a fight near a bar June 29, 2018.

Washington was holding a friend’s gun that he had confiscated earlier in the evening.

A Multnomah County grand jury later found no criminal wrongdoing by the officers.