Washington state county to pay out $1.25 million to family of armed drug dealer shot by police

A Washington state county settled a wrongful death lawsuit on Wednesday with an agreement to pay $1.25 million to the family of Kevin Peterson Jr., a 21-year-old black male shot and killed by police in 2020. Peterson, a drug dealer who was armed with a 0.40 caliber pistol, was shot by Clark County sheriff’s deputies during a regional drug bust operation in Vancouver, a city located just north of Portland, Oregon.

Peterson’s death sparked violent Black Lives Matter and Antifa riots in the Pacific Northwest, where a judge was ultimately forced to resign after successfully predicting the outcome of the case: Peterson’s family would use their criminal son as a BLM martyr to gain compensation at taxpayers’ expense.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office has maintained that Peterson pulled out a firearm and pointed it at deputies before they returned fire on Oct. 29, 2020. Deputies on the drug task force had set up a sting operation where Peterson was expected to deliver 50 Xanax pills to a motel parking lot. When Peterson realized it was a setup, he ran from the scene and allegedly dropped his firearm. Deputies ordered Peterson not to retrieve his gun, but Peterson did not comply with the demands. He then ran to a nearby shuttered bank where Peterson was shot and killed, court documents show.

A Pierce County prosecutor cleared the two deputies of criminal wrongdoing after finding the shooting “justified and lawful.” However, an independent investigation conducted by the Lower Columbia Major Crimes Team in Cowlitz County found no evidence to suggest that Peterson fired his weapon at law enforcement. Deputies fired an estimated 34 rounds at Peterson, and investigators did not locate any 0.40 caliber casings at the scene.

The lawsuit, filed by the Peterson estate in May 2022, accused Clark County Sheriff Chuck Atkins and the deputies involved of wrongful death, negligence, and excessive force. A federal trial judge ruled in 2023 that the lawsuit could proceed. Clark County filed to dismiss the suit, but the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the county in July. A jury trial date had been scheduled to begin Nov. 12 in Tacoma before the two parties agreed to settle.

Despite maintaining the position that Peterson pointed a pistol at deputies after being ordered to surrender, the Clark County Manager’s Office welcomed the settlement and wrote in a statement that it “allows the parties to move on from this unfortunate event.”

Mark Lindquist, the family’s attorney, refuted the county’s claims and said that deputies fired a first round of shots at Peterson when he was running from the scene. The attorney added that the deputies involved in the shooting allegedly mistook Peterson’s cell phone for a firearm. The Post Millennial has not seen evidence to back up the attorney’s claim.

Clark County Sheriff John Horch said in a statement that he stands by the decisions made by his agency on that day.

“While the loss of life is always tragic, I fully support the actions of my deputies, who acted in accordance with their training and the law to protect themselves and our community,” Sheriff Horch wrote in a statement. “We will continue to focus on our mission to serve and protect. I stand firmly behind the men and women of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.”

Deputy Robert Anderson told investigators that he made the split decision to fire at Peterson because the suspect, armed with a pistol who refused orders, was about to turn the corner to run into more sheriff’s deputies, explaining that Peterson was considered a safety threat at that time due to his noncompliance.

In February 2023, Clark County District Court Judge Darvin Zimmerman was forced to resign after he was caught on a hot mic speaking to District Court Commissioner Abigail Bartlett about the case. Not knowing his courtroom was live on YouTube at the time, Judge Zimmerman referred to Peterson as “the black guy they are trying to make an angel out of” and someone who “had a death wish.” He then made comments about Peterson’s father, Kevin Sr., saying that he woke up the next day “with dollar signs in his eyes and George Floyd’s attorneys.”

Black Lives Matter and Antifa activists hailed Peterson as a “martyr” and rioted over his death for several consecutive weeks, with many agitators crossing the river from Portland, Oregon into Vancouver, Washington to protest. The far-left activists sought to paint Peterson as an innocent black victim killed by law enforcement, but police had been conducting an investigation into Peterson for a reason.

Peterson was a suspected gang member and drug dealer who often posed with drugs and wads of cash on social media. He issued a post on social media at least one time that advocated for police to be killed. Peterson also self-identified as a racist, specifically toward white people, according to his social media posts.

Peterson issued a post on Snapchat that indicated he would shoot police if they caught him in the “act.”

Peterson posted a photo of drugs on his Snapchat suggesting that they were for sale.

A few months and weeks before his death, Peterson made a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter, implying that he was involved in illegal behavior. “I hang with pimps gang members n drug dealers,” “I blank out when I shoot the whole clip,” and “F*ck white people I’m racist AF,” are just a few of the comments he wrote on his X account under the moniker @_splashkp, which has since been deleted.

A vigil was held for Peterson on Oct. 31, 2020, where hundreds of black bloc rioters marched through downtown Vancouver and assaulted police, shattered windows, set dumpsters on fire, blocked traffic, and vandalized businesses with graffiti. The direct action resulted in several arrests. The protests surrounding his death persisted for more than a year. His death is still mentioned by BLM activists to this day.