Families of Police-Shooting Victims Criticize D.C. Attorney General Schwalb

August 13, 2026

D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, the Democratic nominee likely to win reelection in November, faces criticism from families of police shooting victims for appealing jury awards and defending the District in civil cases. Natasha Kay, whose 18-year-old son Deon was killed by police in 2020, accuses Schwalb of racial bias after his office challenged a $655,000 jury settlement awarded to her family, arguing the amount exceeds what they believe is justified. While Schwalb has focused his tenure on consumer protections and supporting community organizations, civil rights attorney Yaida Ford calls his approach to police accountability cases "highly unprecedented" and contradictory to his public stance against federal intervention.

Who is affected

Natasha Kay and her family (mother of Deon Kay, killed by police in 2020)
Deon Kay's siblings (experiencing ongoing trauma and nightmares)
The Kay family collectively (awarded $655,000 settlement being appealed)
James Shird and the Hargraves-Shird family (whose son Kevin was killed by police in 2020)
The Brightwood community (where the Hargraves-Shird shooting occurred)
D.C. taxpayers (paying accumulating interest and litigation costs)
Community-based organizations receiving grants from Schwalb's office (T.R.I.G.G.E.R. Project, Access Youth, Anacostia Coordinating Council's Building Futures Program, and Horton's Kids)
Black communities east of the river (historically experiencing high levels of violent crime)
MPD Officer Alexander Alvarez and Sergeant Ronaldo Otero Camacho (officers involved in the shootings)

What action is being taken

The D.C. Office of the Attorney General is appealing the $655,000 jury award in the Deon Kay case
Harriet's Wildest Dreams is circulating a petition demanding OAG reverse course on the Kay appeal
The Kay family is awaiting word from courts about a briefing schedule
Attorney General Schwalb is defending the District in civil cases involving police shootings
Schwalb's office is supporting community-based organizations through the "Leaders of Tomorrow" grant program
Yaida Ford is representing the Kay family in their legal proceedings
The Hargraves-Shird family is preparing for jury selection in their civil trial (scheduled for November)

Why it matters

This case highlights fundamental tensions between government accountability and legal defense obligations when police kill citizens. The controversy is particularly significant because it exposes contradictions in Schwalb's positions—he opposes federal intervention in D.C. while defending local police officers accused of wrongdoing against Black residents. The families argue that appealing jury verdicts prolongs their trauma and wastes taxpayer money through accumulating interest and litigation costs. The timing matters politically, as these cases from 2020 (during the George Floyd era) are coming to resolution during Schwalb's reelection campaign, raising questions about how elected officials balance legal duties with community accountability. For communities of color in D.C., particularly those east of the river, these cases represent larger patterns of police violence and whether the justice system will provide meaningful accountability and compensation for families who lose loved ones to police shootings.

What's next

The Kay family will hold a rally and prayer vigil on August 18 to commemorate what would have been Deon Kay's 24th birthday
The courts will establish a briefing schedule for the appeal of the Kay settlement
Jury selection in the civil trial for the Hargraves-Shird case will start in November
If Schwalb wins reelection in November, his second term would include stronger collaboration with the D.C. Council and Executive Office of the Mayor
Schwalb pledges to continue supporting community-based organizations in addressing structural inequity
Attorney Ford predicts that with a second term, patterns in how Schwalb's office handles police accountability cases will become clearer

Read full article from source: The Washington Informer