SPOKANE, Wash. — Attorney Rondi Thorp says she has been hired by the family of the man shot and killed by a deputy outside of Evergreen Middle School yesterday.
Today, that man was identified as 20-year-old Joel Malin. Thorp wrote in a press release that Malin was autistic and had the mental capacity of a 13-year-old. She continued by writing Joel lived near and attended the middle school, and his mom always told him if he needed help he could go to the school. The church his family attends is the church next door to the school. “He told his mom he was going to get a breakfast burrito at approximately 10:45 a.m. by 11:30 a.m. he was dead.” Thorp claims Joel was shot 8 times.
The civil rights lawyer says she’ll investigate the case, and if she “determines that the police negligently caused Joel’s death, then we will bring a lawsuit for this family to obtain the truth and justice they deserve.” She’s calling for an investigation to be conducted by an agency outside of Spokane.
Thorp added the Malin family is “heart-broken about the loss of their beloved, sweet grandson, son and brother.”
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