Former Marine’s family paid $1.8 million after he was killed by Franklin County deputy

Franklin County agreed to pay $1.75 million to the family of a former U.S. Marine shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy.

The commissioners approved a settlement agreement with Dante Jones’ father and estate on Wednesday. The agreement ends a wrongful death lawsuit that started with a chase on a foggy night in November 2019.

Attorneys for Jones’ father said Deputy Cody Quantrell’s poor choices combined with his lack of training and knowledge of department policies led to Jones’ death.

The attorneys also claimed the evidence didn’t fit the deputy’s version of events, particularly whether he was inside or outside Jones’ car when he started shooting.

The settlement agreement says that neither side admits to wrongdoing.

Franklin County Administrator Mike Gonzalez said the commissioners felt the settlement was the best outcome for Franklin County.

“The commissioners felt like it was best to close the chapter on this tragic incident, rather than prolong the pain for the family,” Gonzalez said. “It also lets our sheriff’s office reflect and learn from this event.”

He added that a jury trial could end up requiring the county to pay an even larger amount and they owed it to the taxpayers to come to a fast resolution.

Brian Davis, who represented Jones’ father Donald Jones, said he’s pleased they were able to get justice for Dante.

“While it is a relief to put this in the past and move forward toward healing, it does not erase the tragic nature of this incident,” Davis told the Tri-City Herald.

Donald Jones said he remains haunted by the shooting. He described his son as a good kid, who loved the Marines, but came back from two deployments struggling with what he saw.

“I miss my son,” he said. “I often find myself awake at night thinking about the evidence and wondering what really happened to my son, but I realize that will do me no good and will not bring Dante back.”

He recognizes the important role police officers play, and hopes the settlement leads officers to getting the proper training to deal with U.S. veterans in crisis.

Franklin County sheriff’s office

Sheriff Jim Raymond told the Herald that he was not consulted about the settlement or asked if he agreed with it.

“My deputies followed policy, procedures and practices concerning the Dante Jones matter,” he said.

He noted the deputies fully cooperated with the Regional Special Investigations Unit. The unit uses investigators from different police agencies in Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla counties to investigate officer-involved shootings.

After reviewing the final report, Franklin County Prosecutor Shawn Sant found Deputy Quantrell didn’t break the law.

“Mr. Jones used his car as a deadly weapon when he attempted to drive off with Deputy Quantrell halfway inside the car. Deputy Quantrell was at risk of serious injury or death at the time he discharged his duty weapon,” Sant said in a news release at the time of his decision.

He told the Herald that the physical evidence matched Quantrell’s version of events. That included the deputy’s injuries.

The shooting happened before a 2021 law that required all departments to get body and dashboard cameras.

Helping U.S. veterans

Donald Jones hopes to use the funds from the settlement to help other veterans who need support in dealing with their mental health.

“We hope this brings awareness to helping people in need in times of crisis,” he said.

Dante Jones’ deployments left him with post-traumatic stress disorder, his family said. He lived in Arizona with his father after coming home, but returned to the Tri-Cities eight months before he was killed.

“When he came back from his second tour, he struggled with what he saw, which had to do with the suffering of children,” Donald Jones told the Herald on Thursday. “He was proud to serve this country and aspired to be a firefighter or police officer to continue his service.”

Veterans Affairs doctors were treating Jones, but the trauma left him with problems functioning in society, including trouble holding down a job at a hardware store and a restaurant, according to the SIU report.

A former roommate said Jones was ‘pro-cop’ and supportive of police. He was surprised to learn Jones had been killed in a confrontation with officers.

His only other trouble with the law was a trespassing incident 10 years earlier involving a damaged fence in Pasco.

Friends told investigators that Jones had a drinking problem, and a former girlfriend said she believed he had used drugs before switching to alcohol.

Deputy’s history

Before Quantrell joined Franklin County in 2018, he worked for the Toppenish Police Department in the Yakima Valley, where he was counseled for pulling out his sidearm when he stopped a motorcyclist, according to the lawsuit.

The motorcyclist was detained, searched and released after officers determined police didn’t have any reason to hold him, said the suit.

The attorneys quoted a portion of then Police Chief Curt Ruggles’ report, which said the tactic of advancing on a suspect with a gun drawn is something that should only be used in rare circumstances, such as helping another officer who is in immediate danger.

“What you did is considered ‘Tombstone Courage’ and that behavior has resulted in injuries and even death in police officers nationwide,” the chief said in his report.

The suit says Quantrell also was counseled for not stopping a police chase that ended up causing “significant damage” to his patrol vehicle and to a citizen’s fence.

The attorneys claim that Quantrell’s behavior didn’t improve when he joined the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

“Deputy Quantrell has been subject to numerous citizen complaints concerning his actions with the public,” said the suit. “As an example, during a routine traffic stop, Deputy Quantrell was found to use questionable verbal behavior and non-verbal actions which called into question his decision-making skills and professionalism.”

Between joining the sheriff’s office and the shooting, less than 1 percent of his training was dedicated to de-escalation techniques, the attorneys said.

Dante Jones’ death

The deadly confrontation began with a call about a suspicious vehicle on Fir Road. Quantrell, along with Sgt. Gordon Thomasson and Deputy Andrew Gardner, drove there to investigate.

While they were searching the area shortly after 3 a.m., a Honda Civic sped past Thomasson’s patrol SUV going 82 mph in a 55-mph zone on Taylor Flats Road.

The sergeant lost sight of the car before he could turn around, but he believed it could be the same car they were looking for, and he noted the driver honked as he was passing.

Thomasson spotted it again at a Taylor Flats Road intersection. As he got closer, the car sped off again.

He began following the car as it drove on Route 170, but hadn’t turned on his emergency lights yet.

Quantrell and Gardner took over following the car at 3:18 a.m. and they activated their emergency lights. Thomasson let them take over because their cars were better equipped to handle the slick roads, according to the lawsuit.

While the county’s attorneys denied the weather was bad, the SIU investigation confirmed it was foggy.

As they followed, Jones would hit the brakes suddenly in an attempt to cause Quantrell to crash into him.

They continued to follow Jones, and while he slowed to highway speeds, the Civic didn’t stop.

Then at 3:22 a.m., Thomasson called off the chase because of the fog.

Jones’ attorneys pointed out that despite the order to end the pursuit Quantrell kept going.

Arrest attempt

At one point, Jones stopped the car, and then backed up until he stopped next to Quantrell’s driver’s side door.

Quantrell pulled his gun and stepped out, opening the Civic’s passenger door and ordering Jones, who was alone, to show his hands and told him he was under arrest.

Jones was looking at him, but said nothing, Quantrell told investigators. The deputy crawled into the car with the intention of grabbing the keys to shut off the engine.

He was halfway inside when Jones put the car into gear and started to drive, according to the SIU report.

When the car pulled forward Quantrell said he became pinned and feared he would be dragged under the car.

Before the deputy fell out of the car, he fired four of the 15 rounds in his pistol, said the report.

The badly wounded Jones drove a half mile before his car veered into an orchard off Sagehill Road. The deputies followed, and after putting him in handcuffs, tried to stop the bleeding by applying pressure and tourniquets, said the report.

Jones died on his way to the hospital.

Investigation questions

While the prosecutor said that Quantrell’s description of events matched the physical evidence from the scene as documented by the SIU team, Donald Jones’ attorneys argued there are inconsistencies.

They claim that the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory didn’t find that Quantrell fired the shots while he was inside the car.

“The evidence suggests that Deputy Quantrell shot Dante from a position outside of Dante’s vehicle in an attempt to stop Dante,” according to the complaint. “This was excessive under the circumstances and resulted in Dante’s death.”