The legal victory Deon Kay’s relatives thought would finally bring some peace is now tied up in court. After the D.C. attorney general appealed a $655,000 jury award stemming from the 2020 police shooting that killed the 18-year-old, his family says they are stuck in limbo and still waiting for answers. Attorneys for Deon’s mother, Natasha Kay, say the appeal has stalled payment and stretched out a painful process, while the move has reignited a familiar local fight over how the city weighs legal strategy against accountability in police-involved deaths.
Verdict and the 2020 Shooting
A jury in July 2025 found the Metropolitan Police Department liable in Kay’s death and awarded $655,000 to his mother, according to The Washington Post. Before that civil verdict, federal prosecutors had already declined to bring criminal charges after reviewing body-worn camera footage and other evidence, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a 2020 press release.
That office’s statement said Kay was shot in a small parking lot near 225 Orange Street SE on Sept. 2, 2020, after officers responded to reports of people displaying firearms. Federal officials concluded there was not enough evidence to prove a willful civil-rights violation.
Family Says Appeal Is Stalling the Award
Relatives say the appeal has turned what should have been a measure of closure into another round of waiting. “I think we’re just going to have to keep fighting for Deon. That’s what I really think,” his relative Kenai Kay said, as reported by FOX 5 DC.
A recent video segment from WUSA9 shows Natasha Kay and other family members saying they are searching for clarity after the Office of the Attorney General filed paperwork contesting the jury’s award.
Attorney General Asks Court to Toss or Shrink the Award
The District’s lawyers have asked D.C. Superior Court to set aside the jury’s verdict or order a new trial. According to the family’s attorneys, the city argues that the damages go beyond typical guidelines for police-shooting cases and that legal errors tainted the result.
As detailed by Ford Law Pros, a hearing on the District’s motion was scheduled for Jan. 20, 2026, in Superior Court, where the parties argued the issue before Associate Judge Tanya Bosier. The firm says it intends to keep pressing the District to let the jury’s decision stand and to reject the request to overturn the award.
Legal Stakes and What’s Next
Associate Judge Bosier heard arguments on the motion but did not rule from the bench. FOX 5 DC reported that she sounded skeptical of some parts of the attorney general’s legal position while reserving judgment.
If the court sets aside the verdict or orders a new trial, the $655,000 award could be wiped out or re-litigated and the case could spiral into more appeals. If the motion is denied, the jury’s judgment would remain intact. The case lands in court after earlier reviews criticized aspects of MPD’s tactics even as federal prosecutors declined to charge the officer involved, The Washington Post noted.
Attorneys for Natasha Kay say they plan to keep fighting in court to protect the jury’s verdict, while the District continues to defend its appeal as part of routine legal practice. A written ruling is expected in the coming weeks, and Kay’s family says they intend to keep pushing for accountability, whatever the judge decides.
