Kingdome Stabbing Victim’s Family Files Claim Hope $10 Million Claim Gives Them Leverage To Get To Bottom Of Crime

Relatives of a man who was stabbed to death outside the Kingdome announced a $10 million damage claim Monday, but said getting to the bottom of the crime is more important than money.

The widow of Stanley A. Stevenson, their five daughters and three sons-in-law wore buttons bearing the likeness of the retired city fire captain at a news conference on claims against the city, state and King County.

If the claims are not settled within 60 days, the family is free to sue.

“We were all raised to have the deepest respect for our governments,” said Jeanne Baker, a daughter who was with Stevenson when he was killed.

“Now we are filing these claims because each of these governments failed in their basic duty, their duty to protect us all. Everybody on the street near the Kingdome was in danger the day my father died,” she said.

“Stan loved his life, and he was full of life, and we’re going to miss him,” said his wife, Rosalie Stevenson, as some of their daughters dabbed tears from their eyes. “He would want us to do this.”

They said the claims would give them leverage to learn what went wrong, determine who was responsible and seek action to prevent a recurrence.

“We’re not happy to be here. This is just one of those things that we’re forced to do in order to get some answers,” said Don Plucker, the husband of another daughter.

Neither City Attorney Mark Sidran nor King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng could comment Monday because they had not seen the damage claims, their aides said.

Stevenson, 64, a city firefighter for 30 years, was attacked following a Seattle Mariners game Aug. 24.

Dan Van Ho, 30, a transient with a history of misdemeanor arrests and mental problems, was subdued and arrested shortly afterward. He is being held at Western State Hospital for a mental evaluation.

After Ho was charged with a misdemeanor earlier this summer in the attempted theft of a bicycle, doctors at Western State recommended that he be held for civil commitment proceedings. Instead, a temporary Municipal Court judge discussed the charge and Ho was released from the county jail on Aug. 13.

Sidran later said Ho should have been committed.

Maleng said Ho should have been referred to a county mental health professional.

A 33-member task force, headed by former state Supreme Court Justice Robert Utter and consisting of judges, prosecutors, mental-health professionals and government officials from King and Pierce counties, has been appointed to seek ways of avoiding a recurrence.

“It is too simplistic to say that Mr. Ho and people like him should simply be locked up,” said Susan Plucker, another daughter. “No one did Mr. Ho any favors here, either.

More than public apologies, relatives want “action to back up those words,” said Jenny A. Durkan, another Stevenson family lawyer.

“It’s about owning up to responsibility, and I think that’s the thing the family wants most.

“… They want their questions answered, and they want accountability - and, if there have to be changes made, they want the changes made,” she said.

Each claim seeks damages of $8.5 million for Rosalie Stevenson and $1.5 million for Baker for her distress.

If the case goes to court, a jury would be asked to decide how much of the $10 million each entity - city, state and county - should pay, explained Mark Leemon, a lawyer for the family.

Money alone cannot settle the claims, Durkan said.

“The questions have to be answered,” she said. “If you’re able to determine how this happened to the degree that you can ensure that it never happens again, then you know that you have adequate answers.”