What did jurors decide in the police shooting inquest?
Jurors in the shooting inquest of John T. Williams, who was killed in am Aug. 30 confrontation with a Seattle police officer, received a list of questions Wednesday that they're required to answer.
They're asked to determine facts about the shooting by Officer Ian Birk, but their finding will have no immediate impact.
King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg will evaluate the information and make a charging decision sometime in February, he said in a statement. The jurors did not have to reach consensus.
Here are the 13 questions, including sub-questions, as read in court Thursday afternoon:
1. On August 30, 2010, did Seattle Police Officer Ian Birk observe John T. Williams crossing the street?
Yes: 8
2.Was John T. Williams holding an open knife at the time he was first observed by Officer Birk?
Yes: 8
3. Did Officer Birk get out of his patrol car to contact John T. Williams?
Yes: 8
4. Did Officer Birk gesture to John T. Williams to come back to Officer Birk's location?
Yes: 7
Unknown: 1
5. Did John T. Williams have a knife in his hand when Officer Birk contacted him?
Yes: 8
6. Did Officer Birk order John T. Williams to put the knife down?
Yes: 8
If your answer to question 6 was yes, please answer the following 4 questions:
6a. Did Officer Birk order John T. Williams to put the knife down more than once?
Yes: 8
6b. Did John T. Williams have sufficient time to put the knife down after Officer Birk's order?
Yes: 1
No: 4
Unknown: 3
6c. Did John T. Williams try to put the knife down after Officer Birk's order?
Unknown: 8
6d.Did John T. Williams put the knife down before Officer Birk began to fire his weapon?
No: 8
7. Was the front of John T. Williams' upper body partially turned towards Officer Birk when Officer Birk began to fire his weapon?
Yes: 2
No: 5
Unknown: 1
7a. If no, was John T. Williams turning towards Officer Birk when Officer Birk fired his weapon?
Yes: 2
8 Did Officer Birk fire his weapon at John T. Williams on August 30, 2010?
Yes: 8
9. When Officer Birk fired his weapon, did John T. Williams have a knife in his hand?
Yes: 8
9a. If yes, was John T. William's knife blade open when Officer Birk fired his weapon?
No: 4
Unknown:4
10. Did Officer Birk believe that John T. Williams posed an imminent threat of serious physical harm to Officer Birk at the time Officer Birk fired his weapon?
Yes: 4
Unknown: 4
11 Based on the information available at the time Officer Birk fired his weapon, did John T. Williams then pose an imminent threat of serious physical harm to Officer Birk?
Yes: 1
No: 4
Unknown: 3
12. Did John T. Williams die in King County on August 30, 2010?
Yes:8
13. Did John T. Williams die from the gunshot wounds caused by Officer Birk.
Yes:8
