Family accuses DC attorney general of stalling $655K award in fatal 2020 MPD shooting

WASHINGTON - The family of a man killed by an MPD officer in 2020 IS accusing the D.C. attorney general of stalling a payout of $600,000 ordered by a jury.

The backstory:

Deon Kay was shot and killed by MPD Officer Alexander Alvarez in 2020. The Department of Justice declined to press criminal charges against Alvarez.

Body-worn camera footage shows a gun in Kay’s hand at the time of the shooting. Kay’s family sued Alvarez who was acting within his employment when he shot and killed Kay.

In July 2025, a D.C. jury awarded the Kay family $655,000 in a civil lawsuit against the city.

What's Happening Now:

D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb continues to fight the award, arguing that the jury awarded above the norm in police-involved shooting cases.

On Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Tanya Bosier heard arguments from the AG’s office pushing back on the jury’s decision.

A deputy attorney general argued that the jury marked up the award on their own outside the typical guidelines by about 10%, and that they awarded more than what is based on record.

"I think we're just going to have to keep fighting for Deon. That's what I really think. Even though this is not what everybody wants or what we want, it's just the respect for the family," said Kenai Kay, Deon's sister.

What they're saying:

Bosier sounded skeptical of the AG’s arguments but did not issue a ruling from the bench. She said she would decide sooner than later whether the city must pay out the total amount of $655,000 to Kay’s family.

"The stance that the attorney general is taking — the D.C. attorney general — is simply undemocratic. It is very rare for a judge to reverse a verdict that was reached by eight different people. And I just want to remind people that this was a mostly white jury, and they deliberated and reached a unanimous conclusion. That is part of our democratic process," said Yaida Ford, a civil rights attorney with Ford Law Pros.