A judge ordered the police department in Seattle, Washington, to release a video from the August 30 fatal shooting of John T. Williams, a traditional Native woodcarver.

The video comes from the dashboard camera of officer Ian Birk. The actual shooting occurred out of view of the camera although some audio was captured.

King County District Judge Arthur Chapman, who is conducting an inquest into the shooting, ordered the release of the video at 1pm today, Pacific time. But he said witnesses who will testify during the inquest shouldn't be allowed to watch the video.

Williams was a member of the was a member of the Dididaht First Nation of British Columbia. He was often seen carving wood in parks around Seattle.

Birk, who has been suspended from the force, said he shot Williams after Williams allegedly failed to obey an order to drop a wood carving knife.

Get the Story:
SPD to release dash-cam video in fatal shooting of woodcarver (The Seattle Times 12/17)

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