Yet another Seattle resident was shot and killed by the police this week. In 2019, 34 people were fatally killed by Seattle Police Department officers, which was a 6 percent increase from 2018. Mental illness, homelessness, and substance abuse issues plague a lot of people in Seattle, but police departments across the country have seen an uptick in the number of fatal force incidents.

On Tuesday, May 19, police were responding to several 911 calls that there was a man brandishing knives in the Lower Queen Anne area who was threatening people passing by. The police say they tried to Taser the man but were then forced to use deadly force when he did not stop. One of the witnesses to the event said she heard the officers fire five to seven gunshots at the man. Officers tried performing life-saving measures, but the victim died while he was being loaded into an ambulance.

Overall Crime is Down, Domestic Violence Calls Are Up

Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best has said that in King County, reports of crimes have dropped significantly but domestic violence calls have increased by about 25 percent since the first week of March. One such domestic violence incident left another person shot by the police in late April.

A woman had called 911 from the Columbia City area to say her boyfriend was beating her. The man grabbed their one-year-old child and took off running. Seattle police officers were able to track him down at a nearby apartment building and body-camera footage shows the moment a police officer fired at the suspect while another officer reached for the baby. The baby was unharmed in the incident.

Karimi Law Office Understands

Here at Karimi Law Office, we understand that times are tough right now with the COVID-19 pandemic and the state of Washington just barely starting to reopen. We have all been stuck at home for weeks on end, frustrations over the economy are climbing, and thousands of people have lost their jobs. Desperate times are driving some people to desperate measures, but if you find yourself facing charges for a crime, there could be a perfectly legitimate explanation for what happened.

Steve Karimi is a former King County prosecutor who uses his insight into the criminal justice system to defend those who are facing criminal charges. A criminal conviction could lead to stiff fines, penalties, and even jail time, all of which can drastically change your life forever. At a time when you most definitely want to avoid jail, where accurate reports of coronavirus outbreaks are still not completely known, you need the expertise and counsel of Steve Karimi to clear you of any charges. Steve Karimi believes that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Call his office at 206-621-8777 or fill out an online contact form today.