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No charges against seattle officer who killed woodcarver

gogodawgs

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Oct 25, 2009
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Federal Way, Washington, USA
No charges against Seattle officer who shot woodcarver

King County prosecutors have decided not to file criminal charges against Seattle police Officer Ian Birk in the fatal shooting of woodcarver John T. Williams, according to sources familiar with the decision. Meanwhile, the Police Department has found the shooting unjustified, which could lead to Birk's firing.
By Steve Miletich
Seattle Times staff reporter

STORY
 

Jim675

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Dec 17, 2007
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Location
Bellevue, Washington, USA
I was afraid this was the path it was headed down. When I saw the questions and results from the inquest it just looked bad.

Why no question like:
"Did Officer Birk have just cause for the stop?"
"Was Mr. Williams doing anything wrong?"
"Who caused this incident?"
etc...

The SPD will quietly fire him and hope it all goes away. Nothing to see here...

RIP Mr. Williams.

So does this up the ante to OC in Seattle?

Anyone on the forum ever involved in training officers? Is there a way to stretch this into anything resembling a justifiable shoot?
 

Citizen

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Fairfax Co., VA
SNIP King County prosecutors have decided not to file criminal charges against Seattle police Officer Ian Birk in the fatal shooting of woodcarver John T. Williams, according to sources familiar with the decision.

This is fine. Never hurts for the public to see how deep the cesspool is. Pity it took a man dying to plumb the depths; but, what goes around comes around--people are going to remember this.
 

END_THE_FED

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Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
This is absolutely absurd. How can anyone who sees the tape and witness statements not see manslaughter at the very least.

I didn't think he would be charged with murder, but I was thinking he would be charged with manslaughter.

If the DA refuses to prosecute then the family should look into filing a petition for private prosecution. Hopefully the judge wont be as corrupt as the DA.

If no charges are filed then he will probably get his job back. The union will protect him. This thug will be back on the streets with a badge again soon. Maybe after he murders his next victim, something will be done about it.

Although I think it will be a few years away, eveyone should remember the name Dan Satterberg come election time.
I wonder if the decision would be different if he was up for reelection this year.
 
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amlevin

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Feb 16, 2007
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North of Seattle, Washington, USA
This is absolutely absurd. How can anyone who sees the tape and witness statements not see manslaughter at the very least.

I didn't think he would be charged with murder, but I was thinking he would be charged with manslaughter.

If the DA refuses to prosecute then the family should look into filing a petition for private prosecution. Hopefully the judge wont be as corrupt as the DA.

If no charges are filed then he will probably get his job back. The union will protect him. This thug will be back on the streets with a badge again soon. Maybe after he murders his next victim, something will be done about it.

Although I think it will be a few years away, eveyone should remember the name Dan Satterberg come election time.
I wonder if the decision would be different if he was up for reelection this year.

After the "split" decision by the Inquest jury, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that there would be no prosecution. Any trial would draw from the same jury pool as the inquest did and why would a prosecutor go forward when it would be pretty much assured that the jury would be at minimum "hung"?

The issue here is the law that shields lawmen from prosecution unless they acted with malice or lack of good faith. We all can think this was the case but the prosecutor has to prove it. Not all that easy.

Hopefully the Chief will fire the officer and the family will sue the City. It is my understanding that many protections afforded individuals as employees cease to exist if they are operating outside the policies and procedures of the employer. In this case, if the officer was found by the review board to not following Department procedures he might well be personally liable for his actions in a lawsuit. If this is correct, Mr Birk could have a really large judgement against him, along with the City.

I too would like to see the Feds step in. Not because I think the prosecutor is corrupt but because I think the "culture" in the Seattle Police Department is a holdover from the 50's and 60's. About the only change is that the "envelopes" don't get collected and passed up the command chain like they used to. Time for a "remodel".

For now we need to wait for the Official Announcement from the review board today and the Chief's plan forward on this officer.
 

sudden valley gunner

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Dec 13, 2008
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Whatcom County
Sigh.......so sad.

I think the grand jury is not a true picture of what would happen in this case, is there someone who wants to find this man guilty helping to pick these jurors? Or was it left solely up to the prosecutor, who doesn't have much to garner by prosecuting his fellow employee?

I would contribute to a private prosecutor to bring this man up on charges, it still is murder maybe not pre-meditated but still murder.

I doubt there will be Rodney King like rights, Natives are only around 1% of U.S. population.

This really is why we need to revert to a more constitutional "justice" system. We have relinquished to much power and freedom to "authorities".

I now pretty bummed, you know how much native family I now have to deal with?

Mr. Birk better never show his face on a reservation.
 

gogodawgs

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Federal Way, Washington, USA
Prosecutors have been confronted with a steep legal hurdle in deciding whether to charge Birk with murder or manslaughter. State law shields police officers from criminal prosecution when they claim they used deadly force in self-defense, unless it can be shown they acted with malice and a lack of good faith.

Anyone know which law they are referring to in this statement?

And I have still never seen the issue of RAS addressed by the SPD, Prosecutor's office, et al in this case. It is still my contention that the simple unnecessary encounter of Mr. Williams was illegal.
 

Dave_pro2a

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, ,
We need it.

We run this country, not 'they'...

I disagree. We don't need riots, or violence. We need political reform that directly eliminates the modern police state.

Right now we have a vicious cycle. To a large degree, the police are creating their own enemies. They do this by:
  • Shoving people in prison for for non-violent, non-property crime offenses -- turning them into real hardened criminals.
  • Harassing people who are behaving lawfully,
  • Attacking free and innocent citizens.
  • Murdering free and innocent citizens.

The result is an increased need for the police to protect 'us' from all the violent and dangerous people that they are helping to create.

The person below is a vivid reminder of what happens when we let let police run amok, of the police never being held accountable for their actions, of bad police remaining on the force until retirement:

2010221148.jpg


We don't need riots, or people like Monfort shooting police. Those kind of things will only serve to justify the militarized modern police state. It gets them more funding, more media attention, and more power.

Instead we need political action that leads to drastically changing laws, police practices, police funding, and eradicate Union power -- to produce long lasting change.

Until we have that change, the police will continue to create a more violent society -- and one where they can act with impunity.
 
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Bobarino

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2008
Messages
295
Location
Puyallup, Washington, USA
I disagree. We don't need riots, or violence. We need political reform that directly eliminates the modern police state.

Right now we have a vicious cycle. To a large degree, the police are creating their own enemies. They do this by:
  • Shoving people in prison for for non-violent, non-property crime offenses -- turning them into real hardened criminals.
  • Harassing people who are behaving lawfully,
  • Attacking free and innocent citizens.
  • Murdering free and innocent citizens.

The result is an increased need for the police to protect 'us' from all the violent and dangerous people that they are helping to create.

The person below is a vivid reminder of what happens when we let let police run amok, of the police never being held accountable for their actions, of bad police remaining on the force until retirement:

2010221148.jpg


We don't need riots, or people like Monfort shooting police. Those kind of things will only serve to justify the militarized modern police state. It gets them more funding, more media attention, and more power.

Instead we need political action that leads to drastically changing laws, police practices, police funding, and eradicate Union power -- to produce long lasting change.

Until we have that change, the police will continue to create a more violent society -- and one where they can act with impunity.


Won't happen without a revolt of some kind. I'm all for a peaceful protest at city hall. Surround the building and let no one leave until Diaz resigns, Birk is fired and Satterberg either prosecutes Birk or resigns. If it can be accomplished in oppressive middle eastern regimes, it can be accomplished in Seattle.
 
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