Protest the killing of a Deaf Native American Man who was murdered by police!!

don't forget, he was carrying a wooden board as well, it's in the article. It it a three inch folding knife. Same thing what this guy was carrying around our store.
 
Jiro said:
I'm glad you brought that point up. It's a common annoyance for us gun carriers. People whined to us that we should shoot at arm or leg so that nobody will die.

well - the way I see it... you should never EVER EVER shoot if he isn't a 100% threat. Either he is a threat or not.. period. If he's not a 100% threat... then don't even shoot at all. Using gun to injure or threaten someone... this kind of person does not deserve to carry a gun. That's the code we go by.

If my gun is pointed at someone - it's shoot to kill. 100% threat. 100% lethal. That's the cardinal rule. It's the serious responsibility that we armed citizens/officers hold.
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Be sure to remember that when you have a son and he too made mistake of carrying a knife in the open.
 
deafgal001 said:
Be sure to remember that when you have a son and he too made mistake of carrying a knife in the open.
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I am the son too and I don't make this kind of mistake of carrying a knife in the open.
 
this is not an unfamiliar story - police shoot knife wielding suspect. people are always complaining that the police should shoot to wound or taz the suspect. big problem is that a lot of people want to hurt police and the police know this so they are naturally on edge when a weapon is held by someone. it sucks yeah , but the law is there and people need to be responsible. the same thing when you are pulled over by police in your car- put your hands on the steering wheel until the police talk to you. always regard a police officer as a man/woman with a loaded gun and you will be fine.
 
DDU - that reminds me of this incident where the cop was forced to shoot the knife-wielding teenager (16 years old) in Wisconsin. The boy survived.

Teen stable after police shooting | wisconsinrapidstribune.com | Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune

the cop was yelling at him to drop the knife and then all of sudden, the teen charged toward him with a knife.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKSt04RtWzw]YouTube - Wisconsin Rapids police officer shoots teen wielding knife[/ame]
 
They finally released the tape from the killer's squad car...my god, what an asshole cop. The deaf Indian never had a chance....

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjv-jma8ECk]YouTube - Police Brutality: Deaf Woodcarver Murdered By Cop In Cold Blood! (RAW)[/ame]

Here's an excerpt directly from the YT page...

Ian Birk, 27, who joined the department two years ago, was on patrol Monday afternoon when he saw John T. Williams crossing Boren Avenue at Howell Street carrying a folding knife and a piece of wood.

The officer pulled his cruiser over and approached Williams, police officials said. Police say Birk ordered him to drop the knife three times before he fired five shots from a distance of nine to 10 feet killing him. The knife was found closed http://www.komonews.com/news/local/10...

Initial reports by the police were that the man advanced on the officer with the knife; however, the department on Tuesday said it could no longer be sure that occurred.

Sean Whitcomb, the police department's spokesman, said Wednesday that the department was looking for additional witnesses to the shooting or anyone who might have been with Williams earlier in the day.

Birk has been placed on routine administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

Alex Castas, general manager of Ye Olde Curiosity Shop on the Seattle waterfront, said his shop has been buying carvings from Williams' family for five generations, stretching back to the 1880s, when the shop used to buy from tribal members paddling up in canoes.

He said he had known Williams for 15 years, and never known him to be violent, though he often knew Williams to be incoherent because of drinking.

"I can definitely see a scenario where John had been drinking and it is taking him a while to focus exactly on what is going on; I could see him tripping more than I could see him lunging."

It was the same for Chaney Haney and Julie Reisman, co-owners of Glo, a restaurant on Capitol Hill where Williams sold his work, and liked to sit on the bench outside on the sidewalk, carving.

"I wonder if the officer knew he was hard of hearing; he told me he could not hear out of one ear," Haney said. "If it was my guess, I would just say he was standing there and the officer was trying to get his attention and John didn't hear him."

Reisman said Williams was slow on his feet, and difficult to communicate with.

"He is not a lucid person. You can't have a coherent conversation with him. You say, 'How is it going?' and he will start talking about something that has nothing to do with here and now," Reisman said. "There was a real disconnect there between what he was receiving and what he was putting out."
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Going to the page URL as mentioned above...

101116_williams_knife.jpg


SEATTLE -- A series of photos is shedding new light on the shooting death of John T. Williams by police fire.

Williams, a Native American wood carver, was shot dead in August by Officer Ian Birk.

The photos, many of which were taken by a camera in Birk's patrol car, shows Williams crossing the street, then Birk walking in front of his cruiser.

Birk has said he shot Williams after he refused to obey his command to put down a knife. But some say the pictures, which show Williams' knife in the closed position, tell a different story.

"Remember the very first thing that we saw was the picture of the knife wide open that the police department put out," said Tim Ford, attorney for the Williams family. "And we know now that, as we've shown here, that the knife was closed."

The evidence was released to the public when Ford included them in a motion he filed in court.

Birk's attorney, however, objects to the significance of the photos.

"I think that the problem of what we're facing here now is with these leaks and the disclosures is that it seems to be aimed at coloring people's perception of the event," said Ted Buck.

Ford, however, claims that wasn't his intention.

"No, I want the judge to see it because we have heard about this finding of the shooting review board. But that has not been given to us," he said.

The Seattle Police Department took Birk's badge and gun in response to the findings of the department's Firearms Review Board.

Ford attached other evidence to his motion, including Birk's statement. Birk told investigators he "was struck with an immediate fear for" for his life. He said he ordered Williams to drop the knife a third time, but Williams refused to comply. That's when Birk said he decided to open fire as Williams was in close range and could attack if he chose to do so.

An inquest into the shooting is slated to begin at the King County Courthouse next week. And in the wake of the newly-released evidence, Buck believes seating an impartial jury will prove difficult.

"I'm afraid it's going to ruin the inquest process," Buck said. "And the citizens of Seattle deserve a fair inquest. Officer Birk deserves a fair inquest."
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As you all can see, his pocket knife which is legal in Seattle as the deaf Indian pretty knows what the law states regarding knife lengths that he can legally carry and use as he's been a wood carver for all of his life and he goes back 5 generations from his bloodline of wood carvers.

As to the pocket knife in of itself, it is closed. It was never opened when he was shot. On top of that, Officer Birk testified that his knife was open, but the evidence photo at the "crime scene" says otherwise.

Police released this "official photo" showing the knife to be open, a claim they're trying to say backs Officer Birk...

472knife.jpg


Now it's all come to light, Birk lied and it cost him his job from within the review board.

This 2nd year Rookie fucked up. He fucked up big time. If you'll look at the killer's body language on YT, right at 7:38, you'll see his body language that he's realizing he fucked up. A body language I've personally seen all too often.

Now Birk is trying to get his job back...good luck with that, killer. It's too bad that killer won't see the prison walls as he has gotten away with murder.

Yiz
 
I'm seriously doubt that Ian Birk can get his job back and damage has been done.
 
yizuman said:
They finally released the tape from the killer's squad car...my god, what an asshole cop. The deaf Indian never had a chance....

YouTube - Police Brutality: Deaf Woodcarver Murdered By Cop In Cold Blood! (RAW)

Here's an excerpt directly from the YT page...



Going to the page URL as mentioned above...



As you all can see, his pocket knife which is legal in Seattle as the deaf Indian pretty knows what the law states regarding knife lengths that he can legally carry and use as he's been a wood carver for all of his life and he goes back 5 generations from his bloodline of wood carvers.

As to the pocket knife in of itself, it is closed. It was never opened when he was shot. On top of that, Officer Birk testified that his knife was open, but the evidence photo at the "crime scene" says otherwise.

Police released this "official photo" showing the knife to be open, a claim they're trying to say backs Officer Birk...

472knife.jpg


Now it's all come to light, Birk lied and it cost him his job from within the review board.

This 2nd year Rookie fucked up. He fucked up big time. If you'll look at the killer's body language on YT, right at 7:38, you'll see his body language that he's realizing he fucked up. A body language I've personally seen all too often.

Now Birk is trying to get his job back...good luck with that, killer. It's too bad that killer won't see the prison walls as he has gotten away with murder.

Yiz
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ah..... another case of testilying.... :roll:
 
Foxrac said:
I'm seriously doubt that Ian Birk can get his job back and damage has been done.
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right. he's unhireable. blacklisted. the only job he can get is 7-11 cashier.

plus - since he perjured himself... anything he says in the court of law in future time such as child custody case, divorce proceeding, etc. is as valuable as laundry lint.

what a shame.
 
I can not believe that John Williams had walked across the street right in front of the cruiser and he was walking calmly and not know what he is expecting to have the officer check on him. He does not look threatening at all when he was busy looking at his own board along with his own knife closed. I am glad that John Williams get the justice and have peace going to the spirit world. I can not see on the right side of the sidewalk around the corner. Also many other officer did not tape to tell the story. The officer should not have kill him four times in his chest. That is cruel. :(
 
It's clearly to me that the cop was too quick getting rid of him.

They confronted for just ONE minute and yelled at John drop the knife 3x, but John was partly deaf then the cop shot him FOUR times that killed him.

If I were a cop facing a person with a small knife while I acknowledge that I do have the gun with me then just point him unless he threats toward to me, I would then shoot his leg, not his chest.... but this bad cop shot him four times which is an absolute overkill out in the plain sunny afternoon in the downtown Seattle - shame!

The knife was within state legal measure to carry (and it was closed as evidenced in the photo on the sidewalk).

Though there are just few bad apples out of many cops out there yet we as deaf people ought to be aware of it too!
 
Seattle officer: I had no 'reasonable alternative' but to shoot woodcarver

Telling his side of the Aug. 30 fatal shooting of John T. Williams for the first time publicly, Seattle police officer Ian Birk described the Native American woodcarver as an angry-looking man, with his jaw clenched, showing signs Birk thought might have indicated an oncoming attack based on his department training.

Birk gave commands for Williams to drop the knife -- one with a 3-inch blade Birk said he "clearly saw … in the open position" when Williams passed his patrol car. Birk said that the second time the carver, who he thought could have been inebriated, turned toward him, he noticed Williams' weight dropped said the man didn't show any signs he'd drop the knife.

"And at that point, if he had had the opportunity to take a step in my direction, I don't think there was much I could have done to stop him at that point," Birk told an inquest jury.

"At that time I was not left with any reasonable alternative but to fire at Mr. Williams, which I did."

During much of Birk's testimony Tuesday, done late on the second day of the shooting inquest, he looked toward the six jurors and two alternates -- a group with six men and two women.

Birk, who started on patrol in early 2009, said he hadn't met Williams before, but had many contacts with people downtown he thought were threatening. Birk testified he thought the incident would end with a conversation, but "it became pretty serious pretty fast."

The young officer -- also an Army National Guardsman who hasn't been deployed -- was armed with a baton and pepper spray, but not a Taser. Even if he had a Taser, Birk said his training taught it would not have been best to use that option because of the threat Williams posed.

He said the short time frame of the incident was subjective. A few seconds seems short to most people, but Birk said his training taught it was more than enough time for a suspect to bring deadly force over 9 feet -- the approximate distance between he and Williams when he fired shots.

Birk said he stopped firing when he saw Williams going to the ground, and the lead homicide detective investigating the case -- also a Seattle police officer -- testified that in some cases one bullet doesn't stop suspects.

Det. Jeffrey Mudd also testified that in his investigation, he did not see documentation of Williams being hard of hearing. Williams' brothers has said he was deaf in one ear and may have had difficulty understanding the officer's commands. An autopsy report showed Williams' blood-alcohol level was 0.18 -- more than double the legal driving limit in Washington -- The Seattle Times reported. Williams was known to several veteran officers for previous offenses, and three days before the shooting was charged in Seattle Municipal Court with drinking in public.

Birk, who was supported in court by his wife and the guild president, became emotional while talking about the aftermath at the scene -- realizing his younger sister's wedding was four days later and there was a chance he might not have been there.

Listen to clips of Birk's testimony below. Segments are separated by sections with no audio.

(See URL for those to that can hear the audio part)

Footage from Birk's patrol car captured a roughly four-second interaction in which Birk said three times to drop the knife, then opened fire. The shooting has sparked several protests, and several people at the inquest, including family and friends of Williams, say they want Birk charged with first-degree murder.

Birk was questioned about why he told Williams to "put the knife down" rather than to drop the knife.

"It's hard to say," he responded. "It's certainly possible that there could be a better order to give in that situation. But I certainly felt that I was communicating a clear order as the police officer and that the intent of what I want Mr. Williams to do was clear."

That response is expected to be a focal point for the Williams family attorney, Tim Ford, who is scheduled to question Birk on Wednesday morning. Ford questioned Mudd about that wording Tuesday.

Homicide investigator questioned

On the stand Tuesday morning, Mudd acknowledged to Ford that that none of the witnesses to the Seattle shooting saw the man as a threat. Mudd said later in the inquest that none of the witnesses reported seeing Williams' knife.

Asked whether Birk was trained to shoot someone within four seconds of making contact, Mudd said officers are trained to address people who are a threat.

The day before, Mudd told jurors the lock on Williams' knife wasn't working properly. Birk told jurors, "I clearly saw a knife in the open position when I passed in front of my patrol car." But other than Birk's statement, Mudd said he could not verify with physical evidence that the knife was open.

Mudd told jurors Williams' knife was found in a closed position, as was another knife that fell from Williams' right jacket pocket when Mudd was looking for his identification.

However, Mudd said, Seattle Fire Department Lt. Lisa Barron reported seeing one of Williams' knives open, though it was not clear if it was the one Birk initially saw or the knife from his jacket pocket. Barron is expected to testify this week.

Seattle police investigators also e-mailed the London knife-making company for details about the specific knife and its lock, but were told the knife was a knock-off.

In a tense face-off, Ford hammered at Mudd, picked holes in his statements, and emphasized that Birk didn't use a baton or pepper spray that had been at his disposal, and didn't retreat. Birk later said he was trained not to retreat in such situations.

At one point, the Williams family attorney asked Mudd to hold Williams' carving board and knife, and to try and get the knife to close on its own. Mudd was unable to do so, and acknowledged that the lock sometimes did work. The detective also said under questioning that no scratches were found on the tip of the knife from being dropped.

Ford then questioned Mudd about the phrase "put the knife down," repeatedly giving the detective loud commands to do so as he held the knife and laminated board Williams had carried.

Ford later said it was because the command had been unclear and that Mudd identified his fellow officer. If Birk had said "drop the knife," the command would have been clearer, Ford said.

Mudd disagreed. The command had nothing to do with his actions, he said. Rather, Mudd said he didn't want to drop critical evidence and would have dropped the knife in a situation with an officer.

Questions about patrol video, rounds fired

Seattle police sent Birk's patrol car video to Victory Studios, a Seattle media production company, to try and determine if Williams knife was open when he passed the officer's patrol car. But because of the video resolution -- the highest available for patrol-car cameras, but lowered to capture a larger volume -- it was unclear exactly what was in Williams' hand, Mudd said.

There also were questions about the number of rounds fired. Birk's patrol car video has audio of five shots being fired, Mudd said twice on Tuesday. But only four casings were found, and Birk's gun was found with 11 rounds in the seated magazine. A full Seattle police duty handgun has 15 rounds, Mudd said.

Mudd said that sometimes casings -- ejected in this case when Birk's standard police-issue .40 caliber Glock Model 22 was fired -- can be hard to find after hitting the concrete, though detectives made a diligent search.

Last month, King County District Court Judge Arthur Chapman, who is leading the inquest, ordered that the video from Birk's patrol car be released. The footage showed it was roughly 16 seconds from the time Birk turned on his lights to the point when Williams was shot multiple times, after Birk yelled multiple times to get Williams' attention. Police initially said the confrontation lasted about a minute.

The city's firearms review board concluded its hearing Oct. 4 and presented preliminary findings to Police Chief John Diaz that week. The board found the shooting not justified.

Williams' shooting was one of five officer-involved shooting in Seattle last year and one of three that were fatal. In 2009, Seattle had the same number of officer-involved shootings, ending with the fatal confrontation involving Maurice Clemmons.

This week's inquest itself is not a criminal proceeding -- jurors will be asked to find whether the shooting was justified, but their finding will have no immediate impact. King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg will make a charging decision after the inquest is complete.
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Source: Seattle officer: I had no 'reasonable alternative' but to shoot woodcarver

Yiz
 
That officer is making me sick. He is liar for all I care. He had no reason to kill him with four shots. He does not know anything about the laws anyway. His life is more important than John T. Williams. Also I suspect that he does not like Deaf people like John, even if he does not know he is deaf. :mad:
 
Too many officers with a narcissist attitude, the one thing we need to look for from an individual to make sure they never wear a badge and carry a gun.

Yiz
 
4 seconds isn't a lot of time. Come on, give me a break... the cop acted too quickly on this one.
 
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