Gyasi Ross: No victory after inquest in Native woodcarver's death

Thursday, January 27, 2011  

"Last Thursday, I bit my tongue when the jurors in the Ian Birk inquest handed down their findings.

I wanted to smile when four jurors agreed with what common sense told us — that Seattle Police Officer Birk was not in any imminent danger when he shot Native woodcarver John T. Williams Aug. 30. I wanted to be happy that four jurors saw through the smoke screen that Birk's attorney, Ted Buck, concocted, asserting that Birk gave Williams sufficient time to put down his knife. I wanted to celebrate when most jurors concluded Williams was not facing Birk when Birk shot him.

This was a victory for transparency in government, for people who feel bullied by public servants. This was a victory for common sense.

Right?

Well, maybe not. Perhaps before we claim the Birk inquest as a unilateral victory for the people of Seattle, we should put the decision into the context of state law and also 40 years of inquests.

Although the inquest jurors handed down findings that leave room for the possibility that Birk could be charged criminally, there is no guarantee King County prosecutors will pursue charges against their fellow public servant. In fact, there is really no reason to believe that prosecutors have any incentive to bring criminal charges — even assuming that they want to."

Get the Story:
Gyasi Ross: Seattle's inquest system needs better scrutiny (The Seattle Times 1/27)

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