SPOKANE, Wash. – A lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Spokane Superior Court by the family of Joshua Musselman, a man shot and killed by Spokane police in late 2024.
On December 29, officers responded to reports of a man firing a rifle outside the Northcliff Terrace Apartments in Spokane. Upon arrival, they found 29-year-old Musselman, who they believed was armed. He was shot multiple times, and investigators later discovered an air rifle lying next to his body.
The 42-page lawsuit, filed on behalf of Musselman’s estate, names the City of Spokane, the Spokane Police Department and Washington State as defendants. It alleges that gross negligence from the state’s behavioral health system led to Musselman’s wrongful death due to excessive force.
A press release from the law office representing the state claims they attempted to arrange a meeting with the mayor to discuss improvements to police operations, but the city refused to meet.
The information provided suggests that Spokane police killed Musselman while he was experiencing a mental health crisis and that officers did not de-escalate the situation before resorting to lethal force.
The lawsuit further alleges that Musselman fell through the cracks of the mental healthcare system and required more substantial support from the state.
