The Anchorage Assembly on Tuesday authorized the city to spend as much as $500,000 fighting a lawsuit filed by the family of an Anchorage man who was shot and killed by a police officer in 2012.
The administration of Mayor Dan Sullivan asked the Assembly's permission to double the amount of a pre-existing $250,000 contract to defend the city against the lawsuit filed by the family of Shane Tasi, a 26-year-old man who was wielding a broom handle when he was killed by police.
The officer, Boaz Gionson, was later cleared of criminal wrongdoing by a state prosecutions and appeals office. The complaint in the lawsuit demands at least $1 million for Tasi's widow and children.
The Assembly approved the increase in spending as part of a package of items in its consent agenda, which meant that they didn't debate the contract or hold a separate vote on it. City legal officials discussed the lawsuit with Assembly members on Friday as part of a confidential executive session.
Municipal Attorney Dennis Wheeler said in a phone interview that a trial in the case is scheduled for June in federal court. But he added that city officials are still exploring legal avenues they hope could lead to a dismissal before then.
The suit was filed late last year on behalf of Tasi's estate, his widow, and their four children. Asked about whether the city had considered a settlement, Wheeler responded that "when you look at these cases, you're not only looking at the case at hand, but at the broader implications of simply settling cases.
"You just invite more litigation, and you have to balance those factors and make a judgment about what's in the best interests of the municipality," he said. He added that city maintains the police department did not commit wrongdoing in Tasi's shooting.
In a phone interview, the attorney for Tasi's family, Phillip Weidner, said: "It's largely undisputed that Shane Tasi was shot down by an Anchorage police officer when he had a broomstick in his hand and was exiting his private residence where strangers had been beating on his window."
"I would think the city of Anchorage would be better served by engaging in serious settlement negotiations to compensate his widow and four surviving children for this tragedy," he added.