A man run over by a Tacoma Police Department SUV during an illegal and chaotic street-racing event in 2021 is suing the city and officer behind the wheel, alleging negligence by both.
The lawsuit, filed by Anthony Huff-McKay in Pierce County Superior Court on Jan. 19, comes just under three years after an estimated 100 people were drawn to a downtown intersection where some vehicles spun in circles in close proximity to bystanders as part of a public street “takeover.”
Now-retired officer Khanh Phan, who was 58 at the time, arrived at Pacific Avenue and South 9th Street on Jan. 23, 2021. As he attempted to inch through a crowd, some pounded and kicked his vehicle and blocked his path forward, according to authorities and videos posted to social media.
Phan slowly reversed and then accelerated forward, striking six people , The News Tribune previously reported. Huff-McKay was run over.
The incident spurred a protest the next day as well as immediate calls to hold police accountable and address street racing in Tacoma .