Judge rules city lawyers can represent officers involved in fatal shooting of teen
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Despite conflict of interest allegations, a judge said city lawyers can represent both the city and the three police officers involved in a lawsuit over the fatal shooting of a teen.
Honolulu police officers Geoffrey Thom, Zackary Ah Nee and Christopher Fredeluces were cleared of criminal charges in August for the death of 16-year-old Iremamber Sykap in April.
But, the Sykap family’s lawsuit against the officers and the city has been contentious.
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The city said the officers were acting properly and want to be represented by the city instead of having their own attorneys.
The Sykap family’s attorney said city lawyers should not be representing the officers because that makes it unlikely they will be disciplined.
“I don’t see how the city, on the one hand, can represent in our case that these officers acted within the scope of their duties and therefore performed in a manner that was expected of them and then turn around and discipline them,” said Attorney Eric Seitz, who is representing the family.
The judge also ordered the city to quickly turn over evidence the family claimed was improperly withheld.
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