Longview Police Shooting: Katelyn Rose Smith Lawsuit

By Darius Spearman (africanelements)

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The family of Katelyn Rose Smith, a 29-year-old woman, will receive a $2 million settlement. This resolves a wrongful death lawsuit filed after she was fatally shot by Longview police officers. The tragic incident occurred on New Year’s Day 2024 during a severe mental health crisis (koin.com).

The Tragic Encounter: A Mental Health Crisis Unfolds

On that fateful day, Smith’s boyfriend called 911 to report she was suicidal. He also stated she was attempting to access firearms (koin.com). Dispatch informed responding officers that Smith’s partner was actively restraining her. He was trying to prevent her from reaching weapons (kgw.com).

A mental health crisis refers to a situation where an individual’s mental or emotional state significantly deteriorates. This leads to a severe disturbance in their thoughts, feelings, or behavior. Such a state can make them a danger to themselves or others, or render them unable to care for themselves. This can manifest in various ways, including severe agitation, paranoia, hallucinations, delusions, suicidal ideation or attempts, extreme anxiety, or profound disorientation. The behaviors exhibited during a mental health crisis are often not indicative of malicious intent. Instead, they are a symptom of an underlying condition. In the context of police interactions, recognizing and understanding a mental health crisis is crucial for officers. It allows them to employ appropriate de-escalation techniques and connect individuals with necessary support rather than resorting to force. Katelyn Rose Smith was reportedly experiencing a mental health crisis when police encountered her (kgw.com).

One of the officers involved in the New Year’s Day shooting had previously responded to a mental health crisis involving Smith in 2023 (kgw.com). During the 2023 incident, Smith’s boyfriend reported she had not been taking prescribed medications and had attempted self-harm (kgw.com). In that prior incident, officers transported Smith to a medical center for treatment (kgw.com). This history suggests that officers were aware of her vulnerability and previous struggles with mental health.

Escalation or Intervention? The De-escalation Debate

Despite the critical information from dispatch, officers ordered Smith’s boyfriend to release her (koin.com). After being released, Smith went back into the home. She retrieved an unloaded 9mm pistol and pointed it at officers (koin.com). The lawsuit alleges police failed to prevent Smith from accessing firearms after her boyfriend was ordered to release her (koin.com).

The family’s lawsuit claims officers escalated the situation. They argue officers created a dangerous environment instead of de-escalating the mental health crisis (opb.org). De-escalation techniques in police work refer to a set of strategies and communication methods. These are used to reduce the intensity of a confrontation or potentially violent situation. This is especially true when dealing with individuals in distress or experiencing a mental health crisis. These techniques aim to create a safe environment, build rapport, and encourage voluntary compliance without resorting to force. This can involve active listening, maintaining a calm demeanor, giving clear and simple commands, providing options, and allowing individuals space and time to process information. In mental health situations, de-escalation often prioritizes empathy, understanding, and recognizing that an individual’s behavior may be a symptom of their condition rather than intentional defiance. The lawsuit against the Longview Police Department alleges that officers failed to employ these methods, escalating the situation instead of calming it (opb.org).

“Officer-created jeopardy” is a legal and policing concept. It refers to a situation where an officer’s actions or inactions contribute to or escalate a dangerous situation. This thereby creates the need for the use of force, including deadly force. This concept is often raised in wrongful death lawsuits against law enforcement. It argues that the officers’ conduct was not merely a response to a threat, but rather a cause of the threat itself. It implies that had the officers acted differently—for example, by using de-escalation techniques, maintaining distance, or waiting for backup—the situation might not have escalated to a point where force was deemed necessary. In the context of Katelyn Rose Smith’s case, the family’s claim of “officer-created jeopardy” suggests that the police officers’ approach and decisions exacerbated her mental health crisis, leading to the fatal shooting (opb.org).

Time to Tragedy

This visualization shows the incredibly short time between police arrival and the fatal shooting of Katelyn Rose Smith.

The provided information states that less than 60 seconds elapsed between the police officers’ arrival and the fatal shooting of Katelyn Rose Smith (opb.org). While a detailed minute-by-minute breakdown of the incident and the officers’ specific decision-making process is not available, the lawsuit alleges that officers “escalated an already tense situation and created a deadly scenario through their actions” (opb.org). This implies that within that brief timeframe, the officers’ choices, rather than de-escalating, contributed to the rapid progression of events. The family’s attorney suggests that “proper training and common sense” should have led to a different outcome, indicating a belief that the quick decision to use lethal force was not justified given Smith’s mental state and the potential for alternative interventions.

The Question of Force: Non-Lethal Options

After Smith pointed the unloaded pistol, officers fired 23 rounds at her (koin.com). She was killed at the scene (opb.org). The lawsuit claims officers should have used non-lethal options and de-escalation techniques (kgw.com).

Rounds Fired

This visualization shows the number of rounds fired by officers at Katelyn Rose Smith.

Attorneys for Smith’s family stated that officers were equipped with 40mm impact launchers. These are non-lethal weapons (kgw.com). Non-lethal options, also known as less-lethal or less-than-lethal weapons, are tools designed to incapacitate or deter individuals without causing death or serious permanent injury. A 40mm impact launcher is a type of less-lethal weapon that fires various projectiles, such as beanbag rounds, rubber bullets, or foam baton rounds. These projectiles are intended to deliver a blunt force impact to an individual, causing pain and temporary incapacitation. This allows officers to gain control of a situation without resorting to lethal force. They are typically used in situations where an individual poses a threat but lethal force is not yet warranted, or as a means to create distance or gain compliance. The distinction from lethal force is crucial: lethal force is intended to cause death or serious bodily injury, while less-lethal options aim to resolve a situation with minimal harm. The lawsuit against the Longview Police Department implies that officers should have utilized non-lethal options, such as 40mm impact launchers, instead of resorting to deadly force (opb.org).

A Call for Change: Training and Accountability

The lawsuit highlights the need for improved police training in handling mental health crises (kgw.com). Attorney Mark Lindquist stated, “Many law enforcement agencies need more and better training on how to handle people who are having a mental health crisis” (kgw.com). The lawsuit explicitly states that the Longview Police Department “failed to properly train officers on de-escalation techniques and handling individuals in mental health crises” (kgw.com).

While the current training curriculum for the Longview Police Department is not detailed in the provided information, typical police training for mental health crises often includes Crisis Intervention Training (CIT). CIT programs aim to equip officers with skills to recognize signs of mental illness, de-escalate situations, and connect individuals with mental health services rather than resorting to arrest or force. Proposed improvements often include more extensive and frequent CIT, scenario-based training, collaboration with mental health professionals, and a greater emphasis on non-lethal intervention strategies. The lawsuit implies that the existing training was insufficient to prevent the tragic outcome in Smith’s case (kgw.com). The family’s attorney, Mark Lindquist, emphasized that “proper training and common sense should tell an officer to not let a person in a mental health crisis access a gun” (opb.org).

The family’s lawsuit against the City of Longview and its police department alleges negligence, civil rights violations, and failure to provide reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (kgw.com). The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a comprehensive civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It ensures that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. In the context of police interactions, the ADA requires law enforcement agencies to make reasonable modifications to policies, practices, and procedures when dealing with individuals with disabilities, including those experiencing mental health crises. This can involve providing accommodations to ensure effective communication, using de-escalation techniques, and avoiding actions that could exacerbate a mental health condition. The lawsuit concerning Katelyn Rose Smith argues that the Longview Police Department failed to provide such reasonable accommodations, leading to her death (kgw.com).

The Path to Justice: Settlement and Unanswered Questions

Smith’s family will receive a $2 million settlement to resolve the wrongful death lawsuit (koin.com). The beneficiaries of the settlement are Smith’s mother and her two children, ages 9 and 14 (koin.com).

Settlement Amount

This visualization shows the total settlement amount Katelyn Rose Smith’s family will receive.

An independent investigation cleared the officers involved of criminal wrongdoing (koin.com). This statement was released by city officials after the settlement was reached (koin.com). The public information available does not clarify whether the settlement includes any commitments to policy or training changes. It appears to be solely financial. The lawsuit aims for accountability to bring about necessary improvements in police response to individuals with mental health issues (kgw.com). This case underscores the ongoing challenges in police interactions with individuals experiencing mental health crises. It highlights the critical need for law enforcement agencies to prioritize comprehensive training in de-escalation, non-lethal interventions, and ADA compliance. The hope remains that this tragic incident will serve as a catalyst for meaningful systemic changes, ensuring that future encounters prioritize compassionate intervention over deadly force.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darius Spearman has been a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College since 2007. He is the author of several books, including Between The Color Lines: A History of African Americans on the California Frontier Through 1890. You can visit Darius online at africanelements.org.