HONOLULU (KHON2) -- The vote on the lawsuit settlement in the Lindani Myeni case has been canceled and removed from the full Council agenda after being postponed in October.
The $1.5 million wrongful death lawsuit sought to resolve claims brought by Myeniʻs widow, Lindsay, who maintains that his shooting death was unjustified.
The lawsuit argued that HPD officers acted recklessly and without justification, as Myeni was unarmed when he was shot while police responded to a burglary call.
The police chief and prosecuting attorney argued at an earlier council meeting that the officers acted in self-defense, maintaining that no wrongdoing occurred.
Council members were divided on the settlement in early October, with some viewing it as a necessary measure to avoid an expensive legal battle, while others believed it could imply an admission of guilt.
The Honolulu City Council Chair, Tommy Waters, said in a statement that he decided to shift the matter to the judiciary system, "where it rightly belongs."
The Council, according to Waters, believed the settlement should be addressed in court, rather than at a legislative hearing, where the facts can be examined in a fair and transparent manner.
"During our last Full Council meeting in October, the discussion around the Myeni case escalated, turning the Honolulu City Council meeting at Kapolei Hale into what resembled a heated civil trial, with speakers presenting passionate arguments and facts from both sides. It is clear that the legal framework and procedural safeguards of the judiciary system are best equipped to handle this matter. I will not permit these public hearings to devolve into a spectacle for grandstanding or serve as a substitute for a court of law," Waters concluded in his statement.