Lawsuit in St. Paul Police Shooting of Mentally Ill Hmong Man Dismissed

Ending a lawsuit over a shooting that seemed to cause anguish for everyone involved, a federal judge Thursday threw out a case brought by survivors of a mentally ill man killed by a St. Paul police officer in 2002. U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson dismissed claims that the St. Paul Police Department didn't adequately train its officers to deal with mental illness and that the lack of training contributed to the shooting death of Ki Yang, 46, who suffered from schizophrenia and had a history of violent episodes. "Undoubtedly, Ki Yang suffered from a severe mental illness that made his life difficult. The Court does not mean to minimize the effects of Ki Yang's mental illness," Magnuson wrote. However, he said, Ki Yang's family didn't prove that officers acted unreasonably that night. On Sept. 27, 2002, Ki Yang, a postal worker originally from Laos, barricaded himself inside his home. His family called police, warning dispatchers about his history and telling them he had stopped taking his medication. Officers Shannon Sills and Michael Tharalson arrived on the scene. Ki Yang refused to let anyone enter, and police would not force their way in because he hadn't threatened anyone.  Ki Yang then appeared with a BB rifle in one hand and a sickle in the other. Tharalson ordered him to drop the gun. Instead, Ki Yang approached him. Tharalson retreated. After being backed into a corner, Tharalson shot Ki Yang several times, mortally wounding him. Ki Yang's family — including widow Yeng Thao — sued the city and the two officers, claiming that his civil rights were violated and that he experienced discrimination under the Americans With Disabilities Act. They were represented by the University of Chicago Law School's MacArthur Justice Center, which specializes in human rights and social justice litigation[MORE]