Olympic police are not allowed to personalize equipment

OLYMPIA, Washington. – The city of Olympia in Washington state will pay $600,000 to the family of a black man shot by police. The settlement also includes a ban on officers personalizing their work equipment.

On Monday, lawyers announced details of the settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Timothy Green, who was shot and killed in 2022.

The settlement prevents city police equipment from using symbols such as the thin blue line on an American flag. The symbol is associated with Blue Lives Matter, a term that has been used by some police supporters in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.

At the time of Green's shooting, officers had placed emblems of the organization “Blue Lives Matter” on objects, as well as a sticker reminiscent of the yellow Gadsden flag with a rattlesnake and the words “Don't Tread on Me” on it.

The police department must update its policies within a year and prohibit officers from decorating their equipment, regardless of the motif.

In addition, Olympia Police Chief Rich Allen, his deputies and assistants, and the four officers involved in Green's death must complete state training “on the historical intersection of race and policing.” The city also agreed that all Olympia police officers will receive further training on crisis intervention.

A spokesman for Olympia Police did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Green's family members are prepared to file a lawsuit against the city for violating their civil rights if their educational and policy demands are not met, the lawyers said.

“The settlement requires the Olympia Police Department to take steps to address use of force, crisis intervention and police culture,” Olympia civil rights attorney Leslie Cushman told the Seattle Times.

Cushman, along with Seattle attorney Gabe Galanda, represented the family and negotiated the settlement.

“We are forever shaken by the death of a son, brother, father and uncle,” the family said in a statement. “Tim did not deserve to die this way. And we don't want this to happen to anyone else.”

While overall use of force by Olympia Police Department officers has decreased by 24% since 2022, 83% of it involved people in crisis situations, according to data from the Olympia Police Department's auditor general.

Cushman was the author of Initiative 940, which overhauled the state's use of deadly force laws and imposed new requirements on police to emphasize de-escalation.

The family is also calling on the Thurston County District Attorney's Office to reopen the criminal investigation into the shooting. The district attorney found the shooting justified and lawful in 2023. The family has also filed a complaint with the Criminal Justice Training Commission against the four officers involved and is calling for their police licenses to be revoked.

According to reports provided to the family, Olympia police knew Green and had responded to multiple calls about his erratic behavior prior to his death.

Officer Joseph Anderson and Sgt. Joseph Bellamy had been called to Green's home just two days earlier. According to the lawsuit, they knew he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and that he had not been taking his medication.

On August 22, 2022, Anderson, Bellamy and two other officers – Brenda Anderson and Caleb Shaffer – responded to a report of a disturbance at a Starbucks. Callers reported a man yelling and “thumping around” inside the store.

Green was heard saying he wanted to “kill everyone in town” and said, “Call the police.”

When Joseph Anderson arrived, Green was “hitting the ground near the store.” Dispatchers noted Green's mental health diagnoses, and Anderson confirmed that Green was the same person from the previous call.

Bellamy, a supervisor, decided Green could be arrested for disorderly conduct and obstructing a pedestrian. While Bellamy retrieved a 40mm non-lethal projectile launcher, the other officers surrounded Green, reports say.

Green became frightened and threw the contents of a backpack onto the ground. From inside he pulled out a paperback Bible and a folding knife, the complaint states. Witnesses said Green held the Bible to his head and appeared to be praying.

According to the statement, officers Brenda Anderson and Shaffer both used a taser on him but were unable to incapacitate him. Joseph Anderson then shot him three times, the statement said.

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