Family files suit over Oakland police pursuit that led to deadly crash that killed relative
OAKLAND – An East Bay family is suing the Oakland Police Department for a so-called "ghost chase" they say led to a fatal collision last year that killed one of their relatives who was an innocent bystander.
It was an emotional day for the family as they shine a light on another concern involving the Oakland Police Department nearly after they lost their family member last year after a high-speed chase.
Ian Finau has long considered Oakland home. But in his eyes, the city's police force is broken in ways that are too dangerous for his family to continue their lives there.
On Thursday, Finau and his family filed a federal civil suit against the department stemming from a high-speed "ghost chase" involving the Oakland officers that killed his cousin, 27-year-old Lolomanaia "Lolo" Soakai. He was celebrating his recent graduation at a taco truck when a suspect vehicle police were chasing barreled into the family.
The family claims officers chased a car that was involved in a sideshow at high speed along International Boulevard without engaging the patrol vehicle's lights or sirens, which is against department policy.
The Nissan being driven by the suspect -- 19-year-old Oakland resident Arnold Linaldi -- who police were chasing smashed into a row of cars near 54th Avenue, crushing and killing Soakai, who was standing near a food truck.
His mother Lavina was also seriously hurt, suffering a broken back. Three other people were also injured.
She dabbed at tears in her eyes at a news conference Thursday with her attorneys and other family members. She did not make any remarks.
"To hear two officers pull up to the scene after the high-speed chase or the 'ghost chase,' pull the yellow tape, and one of them yells out, 'I hope the driver dies' and pull off the scene, you just failed the city of Oakland, period," Finau said during a Thursday press conference.
The lawsuit filed is unique as officers are often immune to penalties resulting from deadly pursuits.
Back in late June when the fatal crash happened, Oakland police confirmed that they were investigating the incident. The two officers involved were placed on administrative leave in connection with the case.
Both officers were on the force for about 18 months at the time of the incident. The two officers allegedly neither stayed at the scene nor called for medical help.
"These two Oakland police officers caved into their egos; to their thirst of action; to their thirst to bring someone in – a low-level traffic offender – into their custody," said attorney Adante Porter.
The federal civil rights lawsuit says Oakland Police Department policy forbids pursuits for non-violent crimes.
The suit alleges that officers tried to get around that by not turning on their emergency lights, which would have turned on the vehicle's dashboard camera automatically.
"You're chasing, but you're chasing undercover as it were. You're not identifying yourself as an officer. You're not turning on the lights and it obviously helps the police if they're sneaking up on the suspect," said Stanford University law professor Robert Weinberg.
Thursday's lawsuit shines more light on a string of scandals that have long plagued the Oakland Police Department.
"Now the question stands if there was an incident to happen again, is this how the system is going to be? No forgiveness, no apologies to the individuals or any kind of action?" asked Finau.
But the practice of ghost chasing is raising new questions about the responsibility of the officers.
"Sometimes it is better to let a bad felon go than to risk the death of an innocent person -- or even risk the death of a felon -- when in fact the felon does not deserve the death penalty," Weinberg explained.
"One local activist we spoke to says this lawsuit is just another part of the fatigue that is being felt throughout Oakland that publicly paid officers are not being held accountable.
"I don't pay the man they were chasing to behave in line with the model on the sign of their car that says 'Protect and Serve.' I pay them to do that," said Cat Brooks, co-founder of the Anti Police Terror Project.
As for Finau's family, they say they'll fight as long as they need to get justice.
"If I can stand to stay here with tears for a brother that's no longer here on earth, we just want to see the people involved in the situation on that night be punished for their actions."
The Oakland Police and the Oakland city attorney declined to comment in this matter, saying the city has not yet been served in this case and the department does not comment on active litigation.