City of Redmond to pay settlement to family of women shot by officer

REDMOND, Wash. – The City of Redmond will pay a huge settlement to the family of a woman who was shot and killed by a police officer who had previously been a Whatcom County deputy.

KIRO reports the Redmond City Council has voted to pay $7.5 million to the family of Andrea Churna, who was fatally shot in September 2020 while laying unarmed outside of her apartment.

She was having a mental health crisis and called police, believing someone was trying to kill her.

Officer Daniel Mendoza shot her six times with a rifle as she tried to surrender to police.

The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office had hired Mendoza as a recruit in 2018, but he struggled with many aspects of police work and Sheriff Bill Elfo fired him in 2019.

King County prosecutors will decide whether to bring charges in the shooting.

Mendoza remains on the Redmond Police force.