PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland City Council on Wednesday approved the settlement of a lawsuit between the family of Quanice Hayes and the City of Portland stemming from the teen’s death in 2017.
City officials confirmed a settlement was reached that will pay the Hayes family $1.5 million in a structured settlement, plus the nearly $600,000 in the family’s attorneys fees and costs.
The vote passed unanimously.
Family testified at the meeting, saying that while they are glad the family is getting a settlement — there should be changes made to police policies and practices.
“I just want to get my feelings out. We’re in this community, I run a business here. I love it here. I still have some problems with this case. You know the financial compensation, that will help my sister dramatically. But I still don’t feel that’s accountability,” Steven Hayes said.
Mayor Wheeler also spoke during the vote.
“While I’m grateful we reached a settlement with the Hayes family, we all know money does not, and cannot, replace a lost son, relative, or friend. I understand that for the Hayes family, this case was about finding answers,” Wheeler said.
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The events of February 9, 2017
Quanice Hayes was 17 at the time he died. He was the suspect in an armed robbery near a Portland hotel and was shot to death by police after a series of seemingly connected crimes.
The incident began around 7 a.m. that morning when a man sleeping in his car across the street from the Portland Value Inn, 1707 NE 82nd Avenue, was robbed at gunpoint.
Armed robbery suspect shot, killed by PPB
It ended a little more than 2 hours later with a Portland police officer shooting and killing Hayes.
After the hotel reported the robbery, police received another call from Banfield Pet Hospital about a car prowl, with a similar description of a suspect. During their search, they came upon Hayes and began to talk with him, but he ran off.
Quanice Hayes shooting: Transcripts, police reports released
The search then tightened up in that area and a K-9 was brought in to help, police said. Not long after, a nearby residence was broken into and police searched that scene.
Around 8:45 a.m. officers cleared the house from their search. About 40 minutes later, police spotted Hayes in the 8300 block of NE Hancock.
Officer Andrew Hearst fired at Hayes, police said. The weapon recovered from the scene was determined to be a realistic-looking replica firearm.