The daughter of a 65-year-old man who she says was deaf in one ear and couldn’t understand police has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against St. Paul police and the city after an officer shot him last year. The action comes a month after prosecutors announced officer Abdirahmin Dahir’s use of deadly force against Yia Xiong was “objectively reasonable to stop the deadly threat posed” by Xiong, .
The family of Yia Xiong, speaking publicly for the first time since prosecutors announced they won’t charge the St. Paul police officer who fatally shot him, said they are “devastated, angry and confused” by the decision. “But in his memory, I hope that St. Paul can learn from this,” said his daughter, Mai Tong Xiong, who called for policy changes for police at a Wednesday press conference. .
Yia Xiong’s family and Hmong community members are demanding that St. Paul police improve its training and policies around non-English speakers and people with disabilities.