A police officer waited just four seconds before opening fire and killing John T. Williams, a traditional Native woodcarver, The Seattle Times reports.

Officer Ian Birk saw Williams, 50, carrying a wood carving knife and a piece of wood in downtown Seattle. He said he was worried that Williams might cause a disturbance.

Birk said he ordered Williams to drop the knife and the wood. He claims Williams turned and faced him but eyewitness accounts indicate that wasn't the case and the autopsy showed Williams was shot in the side four times.

Birk also said he could "clearly see" the blade protruding from Williams' knife. But when another officer responded, the knife was found in a closed position.

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.

Get the Story:
4 seconds from warning to fatal shots, lawyer says (The Seattle Times 11/16)

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