The settlement, amounting to $1.5 million, was proposed by attorneys for both the city and Lindsay Myeni, the widow of the South African-born rugby player who was fatally shot by Honolulu police officers in 2021. However, a full Council hearing on October 9th failed to reach a final vote on the agreement.
The lawsuit alleged that police officers acted recklessly and without justification on the night they killed Myeni. The Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney, Steve Alm, previously found that the officers were justified in their use of force and declined to file charges. The October 9th hearing was marked by a strong presence of police officers, who filled the room. Key officials, including Mayor Rick Blamgiardi, vehemently opposed the settlement.
The Prosecuting Attorney, Steve Alm, argued that Myeni was the aggressor and that he suffered from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy , a degenerative brain disease. Alm maintained that the city would prevail in a civil trial based on the evidence.