On a cool autumn evening in Auburn, Washington, the life of Renee Davis, a 23-year-old Native American woman, came to a tragic end. It was October 21, 2016, and Davis, a mother of three and five months pregnant, was at her home on the Muckleshoot Indian Reservation. Earlier that evening, she had sent a distressing text message to her boyfriend, suggesting she might harm herself.
Worried for her safety, he contacted law enforcement to perform a welfare check, setting in motion a chain of events that would prove fatal.
Two King County Sheriff's deputies, Nicholas Prichett and Tim Lewis, arrived at Davis's residence. After receiving no answer at the door, they could see two of her young children, ages two and three, inside the home. Fearing for Davis's safety, the deputies entered the house and found her in her bedroom. According to the sheriff's office, she was in bed, holding a handgun. The deputies stated that she ignored repeated commands to drop the weapon and at one point, directed it toward them. In response, both deputies fired their weapons, striking and killing her.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, it was discovered that the handgun Davis had been holding was not loaded, although an ammunition magazine was found nearby. The two children in the home at the time were physically unharmed. Her eldest child, a five-year-old, was not present during the incident. The two deputies involved in the shooting were placed on paid administrative leave, a standard procedure in such cases. The incident prompted an investigation and an inquest was later ordered by the King County Executive to determine the facts and circumstances surrounding the death.
The case did not result in criminal charges against the deputies. However, the family of Renee Davis filed a wrongful death lawsuit against King County. In 2021, the county agreed to a $1.5 million settlement with her family. The death of Renee Davis sparked calls for police accountability and brought attention to the interactions between law enforcement and individuals experiencing mental health crises.
