Officer Birk quits after SPD rebuke - Shooting death of woodcarver John Williams

[Kennah]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014241632_policeshooting17m.html

Seattle police Officer Ian Birk bowed Wednesday to what appeared to be his certain firing, resigning hours after department brass released a scathing report of his fatal shooting of woodcarver John T. Williams.

Mayor Mike McGinn and Police Chief John Diaz had strongly signaled that Birk would be fired in a matter of weeks, despite the announcement earlier Wednesday by King County prosecutors that they wouldn't seek murder or manslaughter charges against the 27-year-old officer.

Birk's resignation capped an extraordinary day that began with King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg explaining his decision to not charge Birk, triggering outrage among members of Williams' family, and ended with protests over the prosecutor's decision.

Between them was a Police Department news conference that featured a blistering review of the Williams shooting, which the department's Firearms Review Board found unjustified.
...

Dave Workman has a pretty good, concise analysis of the somewhat odd situation with the state's law on the use of force. Yes, I know Dave swings very much to the right.

http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-seattle/case-clearly-not-closed-seattle-woodcarver-shooting

Here is the statement from the office of King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2011/02/16/2014241877.pdf

Washington law gives police officers more protection against criminal prosecution for homicide than it gives ordinary citizens. Washington law directs that police officers who use deadly force when confronting an armed suspect shall not be prosecuted for any crime – as long as they are acting in good faith and without malice.