Settlement of $1.75 million in Lynnwood jail suicide lawsuit
LYNNWOOD, Wash., September 17, 2023—The family of Tirhas Berhand Tesfatsion, a 47-year-old woman who committed suicide in the Lynnwood Jail on July 13, 2021, accepted a settlement offer, with conditions, by the city of Lynnwood in the amount of $1,750,001. “The [Tesfatsion] Family will continue to do everything in their power to ensure this doesn’t happen […]
Family files wrongful death lawsuit against city of Lynnwood
LYNNWOOD, Wash., July 15, 2023—The family of Tirhas Berhand Tesfatsion, a 47-year-old woman was found dead at the Lynnwood Jail on July 13, 2021, filed suit against the City of Lynnwood and five staff members on Wednesday, July 12, in United States District Court in Seattle alleging that jail staff negligence contributed to her suicide. […]
Council approves $700k in Community Justice Center improvements
LYNNWOOD, Wash., March 14, 2023—The Lynnwood City Council approved a $677,453 change order for the Community Justice Center (CJC) during their meeting on March 13. Six council members voted in favor of the change order, with Councilmember Joshua Binda abstaining. The change order covers unforeseen costs and design errors and omissions discovered as construction has […]
Community Justice Center to decrease jail beds and increase care
LYNNWOOD, Wash., September 9, 2021 — The Lynnwood City Council held a work session Tuesday night to update the public on the latest developments of the Justice Center Project Task Force. The vote to award the construction contract of the $69 million Community Justice Center (CJC) to FORMA Construction Company was delayed until September 13 […]
Community Justice Center on hold, 26 minutes, and an eleventh-hour letter
LYNNWOOD, Wash., August 4, 2021 – The Lynnwood City Council voted, at its business meeting Monday, to postpone the vote to award the construction contract of the new $64 million Community Justice Center to FORMA Construction Company until September 13. The Council hopes that postponing the vote will allow more time to further investigate the Lynnwood […]
Official report into the death of Tesfatsion released
Update – 6:05 p.m. July 28, 2021: The state Attorney General’s Office said today that it does not have the authority to investigate Tesfatsion’s death. It is up to the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office to pursue. LYNWOOD, Wash., July 28, 2021 – Tirhas Berhand Tesfatsion, a 47-year old woman was found dead at the Lynnwood […]
Lynnwood Council voted to allow AG to investigate LPD
LYNNWOOD, Wash., July 27, 2021 – City Council met July 26 in an emotional meeting that lasted three hours. Before the meeting, protestors gathered outside for an hour in response to Tirhas Tesfatsion’s death in the Lynnwood Jail on July 13. According to the Snohomish County Medical Examiner, Tesfatsion’s cause of death was declared a […]
47 year-old woman found dead in Lynnwood jail
LYNNWOOD, Wash., July 14, 2021 – Yesterday, at about 3:00 p.m., a custody officer performing an inmate check discovered a 47 year-old female inmate unresponsive near the shower of the female detention area of the Lynnwood Jail. Officers began life-saving efforts, which were continued by arriving medical personnel, but these efforts were unsuccessful. There were no […]
