Multiple news outlets have come out with information Tuesday night indicating that King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg has decided that Seattle Police Officer Ian Birk should not face criminal charges in the shooting death of homeless man JT Williams.
SeattleCrime reports “multiple sources” have said no charges will be filed. Seattle Times is also reporting that sources have said no charges and that the announcement will be made Wednesday:
Shortly after the announcement, Seattle Police Chief John Diaz is expected to hold a news conference, at which he will disclose that the department’s Firearms Review Board has reached a final decision that the Aug. 30 shooting was not justified, according to sources who have been briefed on the finding.
Satterbeg’s office has declined to comment for either report.
Times goes on to report that while no criminal charges will be filed, the review board’s findings will allow SPD to begin proceedings that could lead to Birk’s firing or other discipline.
This weekend, two women were arrested for obstruction after the windows of a police cruiser were busted on East Pine during Saturday’s protest march against police brutality.
Birk shot Williams on August 30th during a callout at Howell and Boren. Video of the incident shocked many for the speed in which Birk advanced on Williams and ultimately shot him to death.
That took some courage from the officers involved ( Deputy Chief Clark Kimerer, two captains and a lieutenant, according to the Times article). Obviously much easier to just close ranks.
Looking back at the SeattleCrime story ( http://seattlecrime.com/2010/08/30/shooting-at-boren-and-how), Jonah had pretty much worked out the whole story by the end of that evening. Pretty impressive local blogging!
If the newspapers are correct, isn’t it time to re-call the King County Prosecutor? (He’s an elected official, so we can get rid of him.)
King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg and Seattle Mayor Mike Mcginn are both elected officials representing the voters they serve. I agree with the mayor’s positions on many issues important to me however I cannot vote for him again without a much stronger response to this situation. As long as he continues to stand by a police chief who presides over a group of public servants notorious now for their lack of discipline and inability to treat the people they serve with anything like dignity and respect, I cannot endorse him with my vote.
Dan Satterberg and his office appear to be taking a calculated response to this in an effort to avoid a difficult to win case. This decision betrays a lack of courage to do the job that thierr employers, voters and taxpayers, have hired them to do. It may be that the Prosecuting Attorney and Mayor feel their interests are best served by maintaining a friendly working relationship with the police force and fear any punitive course of action in this case might jeopardize that, however, as far as my votes are concerned, their position and vision for this city and county are more imperiled by their inability to convince voters of their own fitness to serve.
McGinn won’t be up for a vote until 2013.
If we aren’t heard, reject all sitting incumbents in this upcoming local election, including 5 councilmembers. Roundly support measures that give back to the people like the upcoming levy expansions for families and children. Reject the power structure, but support the people.
He was living at 1811 Eastlake.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012784234_c
It’s a fine point, but it would be good to keep homeless as an adjective to describe a person’s living situation instead of the person himself.
Thank you for this.
I urge everyone to call Satterbergs office and let him know that you will do EVERYTHING possible to make sure he is not re-elected again. I think King County needs to do a re-call vote on Satterberg, It is obvious by this ruling and others he has made that he is a shill. The police are out of control in this state and it must stop!
Let’s just try to chill out about this for a minute.
If there was any chance of securing a conviction, they would certainly prosecute. A conviction would be a huge boon for the mayor’s office and especially Diaz, whose number one mandate is to fix the department’s race/violence PR problem.
Prosecuting if they know they can’t win is a big waste of time and money. The standard for a murder conviction is very different than the standard for firing a cop. Public opinion is very split on whether he was justified, and it only takes one person on a jury who takes the officer’s side to sink a conviction.
I think we’re still in the “give the system a chance to work” phase. If they complete their investigation and he still has a job, then we really have a problem.
that is a shelter. People who live there are still classified as homeless.
I followed the inquest and viewed the footage both unedited and the version we’re now allowed to see by the media who sensationalizes everything. Birk took down a threat, plain and simple.
We would not be having this conversation if Williams was white.
“I think we’re still in the “give the system a chance to work” phase. If they complete their investigation and he still has a job, then we really have a problem”
The system already failed because the laws are written in such a way that it makes is almost impossible to charge an officer with such a crime. Even if Birk didn’t murder Williams with malicious intent, he should be criminally responsible for such a neglient act. Firing him isn’t enough.
“We would not be having this conversation if Williams was white. “
Ridiculous – there would be even more of an outrage if he was white. Even moreso if white & female or white and someone with a family, a job, and not homeless.
The root issue is that he ran up to Birk shouting drop the knife, and opened fire before Birk had time to respond (recall some of the votes from the inquest and two witnesses responses, including the woman on video asking why Birk shot the guy in broad daylight). Do you really want your police force to shoot first (4 times) and then hold an inquest 6 months later?
“Ridiculous – there would be even more of an outrage if he was white. Even moreso if white & female or white and someone with a family, a job, and not homeless”
Man you are dense. He wouldn’t be dead if he was white. Get it?
If a citizen was put in the same position ofc birk was in, they would not be charged as well. The way I look at it is, how can you charge an officer with a crime if a citizen has the same right without conviction. Also how can you PROVE Birk did not feel threatened at that time. None of us are Birk. We can speculate all day long.
Only get 4 out of 8 people(our peers) to say one thing or another in the inquest. Getting 12 out of 12 needed forma conviction is a waste.
Although the sentiment you write is a good reminder to not confuse the state of being without shelter with a personal trait, I have to agree with Tom in saying that his living situation was not what we’d associate with status quo habitude. It’s an amazing program, and I have several friends and acquaintances who work there, but 1811 is a supportive housing project- and for the most part, people who live there are encouraged and supported to move in to more permanent situations. Many of them can’t, but that doesn’t make 1811 the end-goal. For more information, see http://desc.org/1811.html
has transitional housing on the first floor (and it’s not a shelter, there are cubicles) but the studio apartments above are permanent housing. they have full kitchens, full bathrooms, and some tenants have been there since the building opened.
and i STILL think there is a difference between “homeless man” and “man who was homeless.”
I don’t understand why it’s murder or nothing. Why not charge Birk with manslaughter, just like anybody else who “accidentally” kills somebody with a gun?
My question exactly.
p.s. I was really impressed with the turn out for the rally at Westlake and march to the spot where he died. A thousand? I’m a bad judge of crowds. As you all hear the helicopters continue to circle. I marched up the hill while the masses marched back down to Westlake. I just hope they don’t eff it up with more damage and they keep it peaceful.
FYI:
Members of the family said that their culture does not speak/print the name of the dead or use their photos so as not to disturb their spirit. I think it’s only appropriate for the writers and contributors of the blog to respect the family’s wishes.
The answer to that question is in the first Scribd document above, at page 2. There is a State statute that states that police officers will “shall not be held criminally liable for using deadly force” unless the State can prove malice or absence of good faith. “Criminally liable” is not limited to murder charges; it includes manslaughter or any other lesser-included charges.