Justice sought by family of Federal Way man who died at EQC

The family of a Federal Way man who died at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma after falling through glass is now working with an attorney and hopes to improve safety at the casino.

At 9:19 p.m. Dec. 20, 2025, at the casino, Tacoma Fire responded to a call regarding someone who had fallen through the glass on an upper floor near the escalators, department spokesperson Chelsea Shepherd told the Federal Way Mirror newspaper.

The person who fell was Evagelia “Evan” Potifara, 37, of Federal Way.

Potifara was identified as deceased, and a second person was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. Because the incident occurred on tribal land, the Puyallup Tribal Police Department is investigating, Shepherd said.

The Pierce County Medical Examiner reported that Potifara’s cause of death was blunt torso trauma, and the manner of death was an accident.

Now, James Bible, the attorney representing Potifara’s family, told the Mirror that the family is seeking justice.

“I know that word sounds very generic to people, but it is precisely what we’re looking for,” Bible said. “We want to make sure that past harms are undone and that future harms are not committed. And in a circumstance like this, the powers that be need to do what they can to make sure that this doesn’t happen to anybody else in the future.”

Bible said that he and the family are in the infant stages of investigation, but given that a person crashed through a window, different measures should have been put in place at the casino. Bible said that safety improvements at the casino are a critical piece of any sort of action in relation to this matter.

Bible said at this point, they want to dialogue with the casino, but if that is not possible, litigation is next. However, Bible stated that the heart of the matter is to resolve the issues at the casino so that what happened to Potifara does not happen again. This is in addition to compensating Potifara’s family for the damage caused.

“Evan was loved by his mother and his sisters. He was somebody that made sure to take care of them all, made sure they were in a very comfortable place,” Bible said. “His family is extended and heartbroken on so many levels.”

Bible said the Emerald Queen Casino can expect large numbers of people to be in its facilities, so additional safety measures need to be in place whenever those conditions are present. Especially something as predictable as someone leaning against a glass wall, Bible said.

There was a candlelight vigil for Potifara on Jan. 4 at the Aki Kurose basketball courts, 3928 S. Graham St., Seattle.

“Let’s light the night with memories and love as we honor and remember an incredible life,” a flyer for Potifara’s vigil read.

The Federal Way Mirror previously reported that the deceased’s name was “Evan Potifara,” but the family confirmed Evan is his nickname and his name is Evagelia Potifara.