Most officers never fire their guns. But some kill multiple people -- and are still on the job.
Tweet text:
Tim Stelloh
@timstelloh
For this story, I talked to a Seattle cop whos pulled the trigger 4x since 2010. I tried tracking down every survivor/relative/lawyer linked to his shootings that I could. & I FOIA'd a dozen US depts to see how common these cops are
I hope you'll read.
Most officers never fire their guns. But some kill multiple people and are still on the job.
In Seattle, one officer's multiple deadly encounters offer a window into this little understood corner of American policing.
nbcnews.com
9:09 AM · Apr 22, 2021
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/most-officers-never-fire-their-guns-some-kill-multiple-people-n1264795
The video is brief but disturbing: Moments after two Seattle police officers kick down an apartments front door, a shirtless man appears on camera, lumbering slowly toward them with a 4-inch switchblade in his hand.
Inside a nearby bathroom was the mans barricaded girlfriend, who had dialed 911 after she said he threatened her life and his own. Within 6 seconds, the officers opened fire. Ryan Smith, a Black and Latino 31-year-old, was killed in a burst of 10 shots on May 8, 2019, according to police records.
The officer who pulled the trigger first and fired eight of the bullets that killed Smith was Christopher Myers, 54, who has earned an array of commendations in his three decades at the Seattle Police Department, including officer of the year and a medal of honor. He was once heralded as an officer with an unbelievable degree of patience who cared deeply about the people on his beat.
Christopher Myers, an officer with the Seattle Police Department, fired his gun in four separate incidents in the last 11 years.Courtesy of Christopher Myers
Myers, who is white, also belongs to a rare but significant class of American law enforcement officers: Hes used deadly force multiple times in his career, firing his gun in four separate incidents in the last 11 years. Three people were killed in the shootings and one was seriously injured. All but one were people of color.
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