The family of a man killed as a result of an unauthorized Oakland police chase settled with the city for $17 million, lawyers for the family announced Thursday.
Hayward resident Lolomania “Lolo” Soakai, 27, was killed in 2022 after a car being pursued by police through East Oakland at speeds of 100 mph hit a vehicle and spun out of control in the 5400 block of International Boulevard, setting off a chain reaction that injured four people, crushing Soakai and breaking his mother’s back. The family was at a taco truck celebrating a graduation.
Officers Walid Abdelaziz and Jimmy Marin-Coronel were pursuing then-19-year-old Arnold Linaldi, who had been doing donuts on International Boulevard, according to video footage.
An investigation revealed that the two officers carried out an unauthorized “ghost pursuit,” meaning not only did they not inform police dispatch of the chase, nor did they use lights and sirens, but they also were going against department policy by initiating a pursuit based on a traffic infraction and not a more serious crime.
After Linaldi crashed, the officers could be heard on footage laughing about it, with one saying “Hopefully he’s F–ing dead.” The pair initially didn’t stop after the collision, nor did they call for medical first responders, but circled back later.
“They returned minutes later, once 911 was called and emergency responders were racing to the scene, pretending to be unaware of the horrendous crash they caused,” said lawyers for the family in a Thursday press release.
At the time, then-Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong condemned the actions of the officers.
“We identified potential misconduct, very serious potential misconduct in our investigation,” said Armstrong in 2022.
Abdelaziz and Marin-Coronel were initially placed on administrative leave and then were stripped of their police powers, eventually resigning in 2025.
‘One of the most sickening displays of police violence’
All of this was a recipe for a federal civil rights lawsuit, and the family’s representation, Pointer & Buelna, praised the settlement.
“After more than 20 years representing victims of police violence, this is one of the most sickening displays of police violence and indifference I have ever seen,” said attorney Adante Pointer in a statement released by his office Thursday.
“Two officers chased a car at more than 100 mph through city streets, watched it crash, joked about what happened and then drove away without even calling for medical aid for the innocent people who had been hurt and killed. That level of indifference to the death and suffering they caused is simply outrageous,” Pointer said.
Pointer said the city tried to fight the case by arguing that the officers had qualified immunity, which protects officers from being sued for carrying out their jobs. However, it does not apply if an officer is found to have broken a clearly established law.
Pointer & Buelna successfully argued before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that the officers were not entitled to qualified immunity because they deliberately provoked a high-speed chase with the goal of harming a fleeing suspect, disregarding public safety and violating departmental policies, the firm said.
The city then tried to appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, according to Pointer & Buelna, but the case was not taken up.
The city of Oakland did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Due to the large dollar amount of the settlement, it must officially be approved by the Oakland City Council, which next meets in September.
If paid, this settlement will be the second-highest in Oakland’s history, rivaling only the Ghost Ship fire lawsuit settled in 2020 for $33 million.
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