Seattle shooting: We need to see what police see

[Hannah Bell]

...Five people were killed and one wounded by local police officers. In two of the cases — in Federal Way and Seattle — witnesses later said the killings were not only unjustified, but the police versions of events were simply wrong.

On Tuesday a suspected truck thief was shot by Federal Way police, who claimed the man was trying to run them over. But multiple witnesses — some armed with home videos that appeared to back them up — said the truck never moved.

At first, police said John T. Williams, a chronic inebriate and talented carver, had advanced on a cop who stopped to question why he was toting a knife downtown. But then three witnesses said Williams not only didn't seem menacing but hadn't advanced on the cop. Others said that while Williams was a petty criminal — he had a lifetime of run-ins with police for indecency and public drunkenness — he was also half deaf, with knees so gimpy he couldn't have outrun a child.

Police had to admit they were no longer sure what happened...At a gathering last week of Native American leaders to decry the shooting, a point made repeatedly was that while the whittler may have been deaf, the police seemed blind. They looked at a whittling tool and saw a deadly weapon. They looked at a homeless Indian and saw a menace.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2012812993_danny05.html

[Hannah Bell]

1. The cops' story has changed now that 3 witnesses have come forward.

come on, where's the apologetics squad?


"That officer was *afraid*! Afraid, I tell you! Afraid of that pocketknife & that old, lame, deaf, drunken indian two car lengths away that he stopped for no reason at all! He had every right to defend himself from such deadly force!"

[tularetom]

2. There have been several shootings of police officers in the area

over the past year, and it wouldn't surprise me if some of the cops are a bit on the nervous side. And therefore more prone to fire a weapon.

Not a defense of their actions in this case, more a condemnation of the training and psychological screening given to potential officers.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. Where are these videos that show the truck incident?

[Hannah Bell]

4. ...first report by son of a sheriff.

http://www.kirotv.com/video/24863257/index.html

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Eyewitness-different-perspective-Federal-Way-shooting-102041938.html