Seattle woman paralyzed by car crash from alleged police chase denied new trial

SEATTLE — Heartbreak for a local woman who was severely injured during an alleged police pursuit after she was denied another trial from King County.

Judge Michael J. Scott denied a new trial for Channary Har during a hearing at the King County Courthouse on Friday. Judge Scott said he found no new evidence in Har’s team’s claim.

In 2006, Channary Har was in a car crash near Seward Park that left her paralyzed. Har sued the City of Seattle, alleging officers should have never initiated a chase which lead to a car crash. The judge ruled the fault belonged to the driver of the vehicle that crashed, Omar Tammam.

Har’s team also believes that the officer involved, Aaron Grant, lied under oath due to pressure from city attorney’s office, according to an article from The News Tribune. Grant died by suicide two years after leaving the Seattle Police Department and going to Lakewood Police Department. The article alleges he felt like he had lied under oath about what happened on May 18, 2006.

“So, I don’t know how much clearer evidence there could be from somebody that said they didn’t tell the truth on a critical issue during a trial,” Peterson said.

“There has not been a fair trial. There has been no justice for Channery,” Har’s attorney Colleen Durkin Peterson said.

Attorneys representing the City of Seattle stood firm on their original case.

“Tammam, the driver at the time he was driving down Seward Park, could not have heard the siren,” one attorney said.

The city also argued that Grant’s inconsistent thoughts after the trial did not mean they or the city committed perjury.

“Did anything that he said outside the courtroom amount to fraud? As conduct or misrepresentation and meet the burden of proof that Har has submit? Not,” she said.

During our conversations prior to the hearing, Har says the last 17 years have been incredibly hard.

“How would I describe it? It’s been hell,” Har said.

“And it’s constant, you know. Every time you feel you’re getting a break, here comes something else. And here you are in the hospital again,” Har said.

“And the result of that is Channery is a quadriplegic,” Peterson said.

While Friday’s hearing didn’t go the way they wanted, Peterson says they plan to continue to fight for a new trial for Har.

“Right now, just focused on Channery has a right for the truth to be told in her trial. It was not,” Peterson said.

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