Back in August there was a big stink about this here in Seattle. The cops shot a homeless man who was a carver and from a family of carvers in the area. The individual in question was a known street drunk and had had encounters with the police in the past but no one was ever harmed by him. He was never a danger to anyone other than himself.
I have been with holding judgment until now. This is the actual video from the cops prowl car. This cop needs to be taken off the force in the least. This shooting was NOT justified or necessary.
Seattle Police release video of carver shooting - Seattle News - MyNorthwest.com
This was murder.
This was murder.
In all fairness here is some more. from the police point of view.
Police recordings show angry, threatening wood carver - Seattle News - MyNorthwest.com
I'm still not buying it. Seattle police have a practice of making contact with street people. Some would call it harassment.
Police recordings show angry, threatening wood carver - Seattle News - MyNorthwest.com
I'm still not buying it. Seattle police have a practice of making contact with street people. Some would call it harassment.
This was murder.
Looks to me like the guy was just walking along, minding his own business, working on a piece of wood as he walked, and the officer decided to confront him.
Is it unlawful to possess a knife in Seattle?
Or to carve while walking?
Is it unlawful to possess a knife in Seattle?
Or to carve while walking?
The home of the soul is the Open Road.
- DH Lawrence
- DH Lawrence
This was murder.
He had been sitting on the sidewalk. Someone called the police about a man with a knife, it could have been anybody. One thing about this guy is he is well known to people who frequent downtown Seattle. He's a good carver and he and his brothers carve and sell a lot of their goods in Pike Place Market. They go for a hefty price and it is quality work. The only reason I don't buy it is because I can't see paying a thousand dollars for something I'm going to get sick of looking at someday.
He's had brushes with the law, mainly for public drunkenness and other bad behavior but to my knowledge he has never harmed anyone but himself. I think that the cops singled out the guy and took it upon themselves to relieve the locals of this menace.
They were watching him for some months. Perhaps they were right to watch him, perhaps not but this shooting was definitely uncalled for.
He's had brushes with the law, mainly for public drunkenness and other bad behavior but to my knowledge he has never harmed anyone but himself. I think that the cops singled out the guy and took it upon themselves to relieve the locals of this menace.
They were watching him for some months. Perhaps they were right to watch him, perhaps not but this shooting was definitely uncalled for.
This was murder.
Here's a link to the report of the inquest. This officer is guilty of murder.
Local News | Witness testifies Officer Birk 'more aggressive than I was expecting' | Seattle Times Newspaper
Local News | Witness testifies Officer Birk 'more aggressive than I was expecting' | Seattle Times Newspaper