OAKLAND — The mother of Lolomanaia “Lolo” Soakai had to watch her son take his final breaths moments after the two innocent bystanders were struck by a vehicle fleeing Oakland police officers in an unauthorized chase.
The tragedy on June 26 left the East Bay’s Tongan community scarred, and the two officers involved were suspended. Now the family of Soakai, a 28-year-old Hayward resident remembered by family members for having the singing “voice of an angel,” is suing the city of Oakland for damages.
The federal civil rights complaint alleges that the officers behind the high-speed pursuit of 19-year-old Arnold Linaldi “watched the carnage, injuries and death” unfold after Linaldi crashed into parked vehicles and multiple people—including Soakai, who was waiting with his mother at a taco truck on International Boulevard.
The complaint alleges that the officers left the scene without alerting emergency medical services or documenting the “ghost chase”—a term for unauthorized chases where police vehicles do not activate sirens or lights—in order to avoid scrutiny.
“It really saddens all of us to know that, somewhat, the system is broken,” said Ian Finau, a cousin of Soakai’s, at a tearful news conference Thursday in the office of civil rights attorney Adante Pointer.
The senseless death, which took place right after Soakai’s family had celebrated at a cousin’s graduation ceremony, prompted community rallies and calls for police accountability from the Tongan community. Soakai had been a dedicated gospel singer, and at a vigil last year his family and friends sung Tongan hymns to commemorate his life.
Witnesses to the scene told Pointer that the officers, before leaving, had remarked “I hope that driver dies” in apparent reference to Linaldi, the attorney said.
“These officers conspired to try to cover up what they had caused,” Pointer said, “in order to, I can only imagine, avoid any type of discipline, accountability, and, frankly, criminal charges, for the death and destruction they caused. As opposed to going to the scene and offering medical help or summoning an ambulance, they drove off.”
The city in 2014 had adopted a policy against high-speed vehicle pursuits except in cases of serious or violent crimes, which also required that officers weigh risks to the safety of other motorists or bystanders, the complaint notes.
In the case of Linaldi, who pleaded not guilty last September to vehicular manslaughter in Soakai’s death, the Nissan he was driving had been suspected by officers of being involved in a sideshow, Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong said at the time.
“It’s not just police officers that need to be held accountable, and those that come in and (are) involved in this unlawful activity also need to be held accountable, because we can’t continue to accept this, because it’s leading to tragic outcomes for families,” Armstrong said last year.
Police said Linaldi was driving over 100 miles per hour during the pursuit. But the alleged officer misconduct may come into play in the suspect’s legal defense, with a pretrial hearing scheduled next month. His public defender declined a request for comment.
Several others were injured in the crash, including Soakai’s mother, who clutched at a button honoring her son and wiped away a steady flow of tears during Thursday’s news conference.
“It’s brought us a lot of trauma” said Ina Lavalu, another cousin of the victim. “After the incident up until now, everything such as sirens, Oakland (police) cars, screeching noises, all of that—it takes a big toll on me.”
“Lolo did everything for his mom, literally everything,” Lavalu added. “When we go on drives, all Mama Soakai talks about is Lolo…. I have two kids of my own, so to hear her cry out for her son, I can’t imagine what it would feel like.”
Few details have been made available by Oakland police about the identity or current job status of the officers who pursued Linaldi. They were suspended at the time of the crash, and Pointer said Thursday they appear to remain on paid leave.
Armstrong, meanwhile, was himself placed on leave last week following a misconduct scandal involving a sergeant’s hit-and-run of a parked vehicle and subsequent cover-ups by higher-ranking officers. The chief has denied wrongdoing and demanded reinstatement, and he has received support from the Oakland NAACP.
Treva Stewart, another attorney representing the family, said the officers involved in last June’s chase were “100% responsible” for Soakai’s death.
“We will pursue justice for (this family) with the same vigor, determination and force that these officers used to pursue Mr. Linaldi,” Stewart said. “The only difference is we will go about it legally.”
Staff writers Nate Gartrell and George Kelly contributed to this report.
Source: www.mercurynews.com