Police officer questioned over fatal shooting of Native woodcarver

Thursday, January 13, 2011  

An inquest began into the fatal shooting of John T. Williams , continued with two days of testimony from f the officer who fired and killed the traditional Native woodcarver in Seattle, Washington.

Williams, 50, was a member of the Dididaht First Nation of British Columbia. Officer Ian Birk, 27, said he felt threatened by Williams, who carrying a wood carving knife and a piece of wood on before he was shot on August 30, 2010.

Williams exhibited "pre-attack indicators" and "unusual behavior," according to Birk. Williams also refused three commands to "Put down the knife," according to video and audio of the incident.

"I did the very best that I could," Birk testified, The Seattle Times reported.

A witness, however, said she was "shocked" and "surprised" by Birk's actions. "He seemed more aggressive than I was expecting," John Hartsfield said of the officer, the paper reported.

Williams was often seen around Seattle carrying his knife and wood. He was also known to the police as a chronic inebriate.

Get the Story:
Officer grilled about fatal shooting of woodcarver (The Seattle Times 1/13)
Officer on fatal shooting: 'No doubt ... attack was coming' (The Seattle Times 1/12)

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