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Family of teen killed by deputies files federal lawsuit

The family of a Des Moines teen who was killed on Jan. 27, 2017, by King County sheriff's deputies, filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against the deputies involved, King County and the state.

Mi’Chance Dunlap-Gittens, 17, was shot and killed during a homicide investigation.

Deputies had been searching for a 16-year-old who they suspected was the driver in a fatal hit-and-run that killed 22-year-old Moises Radcliffe.

Radcliffe, the son of a veteran Seattle police officer, was run over Jan. 25, 2017 at Beaver Lake Park in Sammamish.

According to investigators, Radcliffe saw suspects prowling his car at the park.

When he confronted them, they ran and got into a small gold SUV.

Investigators say the car prowlers were driving toward Radcliffe. According to detectives, Radcliffe was armed and fired at the SUV in self-defense as it was driving toward him.

The car prowlers ran over Radclife and killed him.

The 16-year-old who police were searching for was traced to an apartment in Des Moines where Dunlap-Gittens was.

A team of experienced King County sheriff's deputies was assembled to arrest the suspect, complete with tracking dogs and the Guardian One helicopter.

But the operation did not go as planned and ended with the deadly shooting of Dunlap-Gittens.

In the end, neither teen was involved in the homicide. Instead, a 24-year-old woman admitted to running over Radcliffe.

Ka’Deidre Rials was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for the fatal hit-and-run in February 2018.

"Many of the claims made in the legal complaint filed in federal court are inaccurate, and some of them are simply misleading, but we intend to try this case in the courtroom,” a statement from the King County Sheriff’s Office read.

All six members of an inquest jury agreed that deputies saw Dunlap-Gittens raise what appeared to be a firearm in the direction of deputies. The officers were cleared of wrongdoing.

A news conference on the lawsuit was held Thursday morning. Watch a full replay below.

See our previous coverage on Dunlap-Gittens, Radcliffe and Rials below