Family of Woman Fatally Shot on New Year’s Day 2024 Gets $2 million Settlement with Longview—Klog 100.7 News

The City of Longview has agreed to a $2 million settlement in the fatal police shooting of 29-year-old Katelyn Smith on New Year’s Day 2024.

According to The Daily News, the settlement follows a wrongful death lawsuit filed in November by Smith’s mother and estate representative, Danielle Whiting. The lawsuit named the three Longview police officers involved in the shooting—Elijah Heston, Dylan Fletcher, and Caitlyn Woolcott-Rose.

It remains unclear how much of the settlement will be covered by the city directly and how much will be paid by its insurance provider.

The shooting occurred in the early morning hours of January 1, 2024, when officers responded to a home on Columbia Heights Road. Smith exited the home while pointing a firearm, prompting the officers to hit her with nearly two dozen rounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The Lower Columbia Major Crimes Team immediately launched an investigation and the officers were placed on incident leave per standard protocol.

TDN says both the lawsuit and investigative reports confirm that the original 911 call indicated Smith was suicidal. However, the lawsuit alleges officers failed to prevent her from accessing the weapon. It further claims officers instructed Smith’s boyfriend to release her, despite him saying he was preventing her from accessing the firearm.

A video of the incident, posted on the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office YouTube channel, includes audio of Smith’s boyfriend stating that she was intoxicated and suicidal, and that he was trying to keep her away from the firearm. Viewer discretion is strongly advised due to the graphic nature of the footage.