Pierce County to pay $1.75M after deputy shot car-theft suspect, paralyzing him
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- A stolen-car suspect was shot and paralyzed by a deputy after a vehicle chase in 2022.
- The suspect, who is facing criminal charges, sued Pierce County for excessive force.
- The county agreed to pay $1.75 million to settle the lawsuit. The criminal case is active.
Pierce County has agreed to pay $1.75 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that a deputy used excessive force when he shot and paralyzed a man accused of a hit-and-run while fleeing authorities in a stolen BMW.
The settlement comes as the plaintiff, Bryan Jose Galeana Mendoza, faces criminal charges related to the high-speed pursuit in 2022 and has two trials scheduled for next month. The other case involves an alleged episode of reckless driving in a stolen truck from 2021.
The lawsuit, which named the county, the deputy and then-Sheriff Ed Troyer as defendants, alleged battery, negligence in hiring and training employees, and other claims. As part of the complaint’s resolution, no defendant admitted liability, according to a copy of the settlement signed Sept. 2. The suit was dismissed on Oct. 1, court records show.
A county spokesperson declined to comment. Attorneys representing Galeana Mendoza in the civil matter didn’t return messages from The News Tribune seeking comment.
Galeana Mendoza, 22, was purportedly driving a stolen BMW tied to a series of crimes in Lacey when authorities tried to apprehend him on May 12, 2022, leading to a vehicle pursuit that ended outside his residence in Puyallup, The News Tribune previously reported.
Sheriff’s deputy Brian Johnson fired at Galeana Mendoza three times, with one bullet striking his spinal column and leaving him paralyzed from the waist down, according to the lawsuit, which was filed in Pierce County Superior Court in October 2023 before it was moved to federal court.
The complaint alleged that Johnson shot at him without warning or justification. Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney Mary Robnett declared in September 2023 that the shooting was justified, writing in part that Galeana Mendoza “posed a threat of serious physical harm to the deputy and others.”
Johnson returned to regular duty the day after Robnett’s declaration, a Sheriff’s Office spokesperson previously said.
Suspect flees and chase begins
Galeana Mendoza allegedly fled from other law enforcement by the time Johnson approached the driver’s side of the BMW at a red light on 160th Street East near Frederickson. The deputy yelled, “Get out of the car!”, and smashed the front driver’s side window with a long-handled flashlight, according to body-camera footage released by the Pierce County Force Investigation Team.
Galeana Mendoza allegedly rammed three vehicles, rolled over Johnson’s foot and broke through stalled traffic with his pregnant girlfriend inside the vehicle. According to the lawsuit, Galeana Mendoza took off after the BMW’s window was smashed because Johnson hadn’t identified himself and Galeana Mendoza was frightened for his and his girlfriend’s safety.
He then led deputies on a roughly 90-second chase at high speeds to his Puyallup residence where he exited the vehicle and climbed on a motorcycle, according to authorities and court filings.
The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office’s report into the incident said that a sergeant who arrived at the residence shouted, “Stop or I’ll shoot you,” and drew his gun toward Galeana Mendoza, who began to speed away from deputies on a narrow trail. After arriving at the scene, Johnson fired three successive shots at him, body-camera footage showed.
As the shots rang out, the sergeant expressed concern for other deputies who could have been in the line of fire on 160th Street East, but Johnson “was comfortable that he had a suitable backdrop for shooting,” according to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office’s report.
Authorities recovered a handgun underneath Galeana Mendoza that matched one used in an armed robbery, the report said.
Attorney Cole Douglas, who represented Galeana Mendoza in the suit, previously told The News Tribune that a key aspect of the case was whether law enforcement had the right to be a judge, jury and executioner.
“Anytime you use your weapon, you’re intending to kill someone,” Douglas had said.
Galeana Mendoza was charged with motor vehicle theft, attempting to elude authorities and three counts of hit-and-run involving other occupied vehicles, according to court records. He was also wanted at the time on a warrant for purportedly driving recklessly in a stolen truck and attempting to flee from a Lakewood police officer in October 2021, court records show.
Trials for both cases were scheduled for Nov. 18 as of Wednesday, according to court records.
