City of Lakewood facing $26 million wrongful death lawsuit
Jan 21, 2026, 5:21 PM
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
The City of Lakewood was hit with a federal $26 million wrongful death lawsuit Wednesday.
The family of commercial truck driver Bohdan Vetrov is suing the city for wrongful death after previously filing a claim in November. Vetrov, a husband and father of seven, was killed in 2023 when juvenile robbery suspects fleeing Lakewood officers crashed into him.
Lawsuit claims officer’s ‘dangerous’ decision led to Vetrov’s death
Two officers devised a plan to catch the suspects, which led to a “highly dangerous, unnecessary, unapproved chase,” a news release from Mark Lindquist Law, the firm representing the family, stated.
The juveniles reportedly were involved in a robbery of a convenience store. A Lakewood officer heard about the robbery and believed he knew the identity of one suspect.
About five hours after the robbery, he and another officer positioned themselves near the juvenile’s home. When they saw the juvenile driving in the neighborhood, the officers began following him. But rather than wait for the juvenile to pull into his driveway and block his car, the officer activated his overhead lights, the news release stated. The juvenile then tried to speed away.
According to the lawsuit, the officer was not certified in any pursuit intervention option, which was a requirement to engage in a vehicular pursuit.
“Further, officers did not communicate with a supervisor, had not developed any plan to end the pursuit, and had no basis to conclude the risk of failing to apprehend the suspect outweighed the risks of a pursuit,” the news release stated.
The officers chased the suspect, even after the juvenile blew through a stop sign. The juvenile then reportedly ran a red light and crashed into Vetrov’s truck. Both juveniles survived the crash, but Vetrov died.
“Lakewood officers ignored their own departmental policies, ignored state law, and ignored common sense in engaging a juvenile suspect in a high-speed, dangerous pursuit that killed Mr. Vetrov,” Former Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist told KIRO Newsradio.
RELATED STORIES
Family seeking $26 million from city
The release noted Vetrov’s family has struggled financially and emotionally without him.
“The family is seeking justice, accountability, and economic compensation in the amount of about $26 million,” Lindquist said.
KIRO Newsradio reached out to the City of Lakewood for comment, but so far has not heard back.
Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest; James Lynch, KIRO Newsradio
Follow James Lynch on X. Read more of his stories here. Submit news tips here.
Follow @http://twitter.com/Mynorthwest
