WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – The Navajo Nation has sued the federal government and Winslow over the death of a scissors-wielding tribal member shot by a police officer for the northern Arizona city.
The tribe filed its lawsuit this week in U.S. District Court on behalf of Loreal Tsingine’s daughter.
Authorities say the 27-year-old Tsingine had posed a threat to a now-former Winslow officer when she was shot five times on a sidewalk two years ago.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office cleared the officer in the shooting. The U.S. Department of Justice reviewed the case but said it couldn’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt the officer willfully used excessive force.
The lawsuit alleges violations of civil and constitutional rights, and seeks unspecified damages.
The Justice Department and the city declined comment Wednesday.
