Mother files claim against Seattle over son’s death at CHOP

SEATTLE — A grieving mother is now blaming her son's death at CHOP on the city of Seattle.

Horace Lorenzo Anderson was the first teenager killed during the three-week existence of the Capitol Hill Organized Protest zone or CHOP.

His mother filed a claim against the city of Seattle seeking damages because of his death.

It comes a month to the day that Anderson died, just five days before he would have turned 20 years old.

But Anderson isn't here to celebrate his birthday, as he was shot and killed last month at what was CHOP.

Now his mother said the city of Seattle must pay.

"Actually, this is my favorite one of them," said Donnitta Sinclair-Martin, looking through a several pictures. "This is me and him."

This is about the only way to get Sinclair-Martin to smile.

"He always tell everybody, 'Everybody need to go to their own house and sleep in their own bed,' " she said, chuckling at the memory. "So he don't like to spend the night nowhere."

That her only son survived at all was a medical miracle. Anderson was born nearly 20 years ago at just 24 1/2 weeks.

"So he was 680 grams," said Sinclair-Martin.

Sinclair-Martin herself works with at-risk youths. And she insists the city of Seattle, Seattle police and Seattle fire let her son down.

"I know we sign an oath," said Sinclair-Martin. "And we're supposed to protect and serve. They didn't do that."

A video captured the chaotic scene after Anderson was shot in the early morning hours of June 20.

Seattle fire medics refused to go into the CHOP zone because Seattle police could not secure the scene. Instead, a bystander took Anderson to Harborview Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The former Pierce County prosecutor his mother has hired to handle her claim said the city and its leaders failed.

"Politics got ahead of public safety here," said Mark Lindquist. "City leaders seemed to be more focused on their own agenda than on the safety of the community."

Lorenzo was a budding rapper — 'Lil Mob,' he called himself. Now his mother is learning to live with a devastating loss that she insists could have been prevented.

"And it's horrible," said Sinclair-Martin. "And it's not funny. Well, I've seen the mayor smirk. And I don't think nothing's funny. At all."

She said she wants the city to be held accountable because the decision to abandon the East Precinct for three weeks resulted in several shootings and two deaths, including her son's.

The city reported it has not yet been served with the claim.

Cox Media Group