Gyasi Ross: No victory after inquest in Native woodcarver's death
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Filed Under:
Opinion
"Last Thursday, I bit my tongue when the jurors in the Ian Birk inquest handed down their findings.
I wanted to smile when four jurors agreed with what common sense told us — that Seattle Police Officer Birk was not in any imminent danger when he shot Native woodcarver John T. Williams Aug. 30. I wanted to be happy that four jurors saw through the smoke screen that Birk's attorney, Ted Buck, concocted, asserting that Birk gave Williams sufficient time to put down his knife. I wanted to celebrate when most jurors concluded Williams was not facing Birk when Birk shot him.
This was a victory for transparency in government, for people who feel bullied by public servants. This was a victory for common sense.
Right?
Well, maybe not. Perhaps before we claim the Birk inquest as a unilateral victory for the people of Seattle, we should put the decision into the context of state law and also 40 years of inquests.
Although the inquest jurors handed down findings that leave room for the possibility that Birk could be charged criminally, there is no guarantee King County prosecutors will pursue charges against their fellow public servant. In fact, there is really no reason to believe that prosecutors have any incentive to bring criminal charges — even assuming that they want to."
Get the Story:
Gyasi Ross: Seattle's inquest system needs better scrutiny
(The Seattle Times 1/27)
Related Stories:
DOJ opens investigation of Seattle police after
Native man's death (1/25)
Gyasi Ross: Native
perspective on inquest of Native man's death (1/21)
Inquest split over fatal shooting of Native man by
a police officer (1/21)
Police officer
questioned over fatal shooting of Native woodcarver (1/13)
Inquest begins into officer's fatal shooting of
Native wood carver (1/11)
Judge tells
police to release video from Native man's shooting (12/17)
Officer waited four seconds before shooting Native
wood carver (11/16)
Knife carried by
Native wood carver was found in closed position (11/10)
Reports: Fatal shooting of Native woodcarver ruled
not justified (10/15)
County orders
inquest of fatal shooting of Native woodcarver (10/12)
Autopsy: Native carver was shot four times in his
side by officer (10/6)
Board in
Washington opens probe into shooting of Native man (10/4)
Justice Department monitors probe into shooting of
Native man (9/21)
Mayor in Seattle calls
officer shooting of Native man an 'injustice' (9/17)
Police department makes changes after First Nations
man's death (9/16)
Editorial: Officer
shooting of Native man threatens public's trust (9/10)
Police promise better outreach after fatal shooting
of Native man (9/9)
Native leaders seek
inquiry of police shooting of traditional carver (9/8)
Gyasi Ross: What are we doing about the shooting of
Native man? (9/3)
First Nations in
mourning after fatal shooting of traditional carver (9/3)
First Nations man shot and killed by officer was
deaf in one ear (9/2)
First Nations man
shot and killed by police officer in Washington (9/1)
Copyright © Indianz.Com
Subscribe