Will NOT be prosecuted!
King County prosecutors will not pursue criminal charges against a Seattle police officer who shot and killed a homeless woodcarver in August, Prosecutor Dan Satterberg said Wednesday morning.
Announcing his decision on the controversial shooting, Satterberg said the evidence gathered does not support state charges against Officer Ian Birk in the slaying of John T. Williams.
Calling the shooting "troubling," Satterberg said that the "obvious and legally available defenses" -- chiefly that there is no evidence indicating Birk acted with malice toward Williams, as required by state law -- would leave a jury with only one decision if asked to convict Birk.
"A jury would be compelled to find Officer Birk not guilty," Satterberg said.
"There is no evidence to show malice," the elected prosecutor continued. "There's no evidence to refute Officer Birk's claim that he acted in good faith."
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