PORTLAND — Portland State University has agreed to pay $1 million to the family of Jason Washington, who was shot and killed by campus police in 2018.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reported that as part of the settlement, some of the money will go to create a memorial scholarship fund in Washington’s name. The university also agreed to provide campus police with additional training.
“Mr. Washington’s death was tragic, and our campus community mourns his loss,” Interim President Stephen Percy said in a statement. “His death made us significantly reassess our approach to campus safety.”
The university did not release terms of the agreement. The family had notified Portland State earlier this year that it intended to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
After the shooting, the university hired an independent public safety consultant who held campus forums and produced recommendations in a lengthy report. In October, Percy announced a comprehensive campus safety plan that includes training designed to minimize the use of force and increased oversight by a university committee.
Michelle Washington, Jason Washington’s wife, said the settlement “acknowledges our profound loss.” Washington is also survived by three children.
Officers James Dewey and Shawn McKenzie shot Washington, a U.S. postal worker and Navy veteran in a chaotic scene as Washington tried to break up a fight near the Cheerful Tortoise on June 29, 2018.
A Multnomah County grand jury later found no criminal wrongdoing by the officers. McKenzie and Dewey have since left PSU’s public safety force.
