PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The family of Hunter Newton, the 21-year-old who was shot and seriously injured at a Taco Bell in 2024 during a traffic stop by Milwaukie police, has filed a lawsuit accusing the officers of assault and negligence.
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The complaint was filed Sept. 25 in U.S. District Court in the District of Oregon, Portland Division, against Clackamas County and the involved Milwaukie Police Department officers and sheriff’s deputies.
The incident occurred during a traffic stop just before 1 a.m. on Sept. 30, 2024, police said at the time. Two Milwaukie police officers said they tried to pull Newton over for a traffic violation and driving with a suspected license, but he instead entered the Taco Bell drive-thru.
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When the officers ordered Newton to exit the vehicle, they said he refused. While they tried to pull him from the car, they said they heard a noise they believed was a gunshot coming from inside the car. The officers then backed away and fired shots at Newton, who was later found to be unarmed.
Numerous Clackamas County Sheriff’s deputies began arriving at 1 a.m., and one officer reportedly told them that Newton was slumped over in the passenger seat, according to the lawsuit. Law enforcement allegedly yelled at Newton repeatedly to put his hands on the dash, on his head or on the steering wheel, but he did not react. They fired chemical irritants at him, but he did not react…