Cops Beat a Deaf Man for Seven Minutes Because He didn’t Respond to Their Yelling

[uppityperson]

38. Seattle cop kills partially deaf man for not responding, then turning to look. RIP John Williams

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/23/court-releases-video-deadly-police-shooting-native-american-seattle/

Recently released footage from a police cruiser’s dashboard camera shows the events leading up to the fatal shooting of a partially deaf man by a Seattle police officer.

John T. Williams, a Native American wood carver who was partially deaf, was killed on August 30th after walking past Officer Ian Birk, 27, on the street with a knife in his hand.

The dashboard camera footage shows Williams slowly crossing the street in front of Officer Birk’s police cruiser. Birk then approached Williams and repeatedly told him to “put the knife down.” Seconds later, Birk shot him four times.

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Birk said he shot Williams because he refused commands to drop the weapon, putting Birk in fear for his life. Williams’ friends and supporters argued that he may not have even heard the officer’s commands.

Dashcam vid. Shooting occurs offscreen but you can hear the shots. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

http://jonathanturley.org/2011/05/28/seattle-pays-1-5m-to-family-of-victim-of-police-shooting/

Birk resigned Feb. 16 after the release of a scathing report by the Firearms Review Board report that found, among other problems, that Birk didn’t identify himself as a police officer as he approached Williams from behind. Williams was crossing the intersection while carving on a piece of wood with a legal knife (shown here in a police photo). The knife was folded shut when found by officers.

Williams, who was deaf in one ear, was shot in the side, not facing the officer.

Officer Birk was not criminally charged in the shooting.