Snohomish County Police officer involved shootings, often yeild no charges. 5/6 this year alone.

In the last year, there have been six, officer involved shootings. In an ever changing society, armed officers are more and more necessary. The real question is; When has the shoot first mentality gone too far?

In the Everett, Herald they listed four other shootings other than this one.

Other recent officer-involved shootings
Since November, Snohomish County law officers have been involved in four other shootings, each ending in death. The cases remain under investigation by a special team of detectives pulled from police departments around the county.

Nov. 8 08
Everett police fatally shoot Dustin Willard at his Everett home. Police were responding to a reported burglary in process.
Status: The investigation continues. The officers involved have returned to duty.

January 25 09
A Mill Creek police officer shot and killed a man while investigating a report of a car prowler, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office reported.


May 29 09
A Verlot man, Daniel Wasilchen, is fatally shot in front of his home by a Snohomish County deputy and a reserve deputy. Police are called after a reported dispute with a weed-abatement official.
Status: Detectives continue to investigate. The two deputies have been cleared to return to patrol.

June 10 09
Everett police fatally shoot Niles Meservey behind the Chuckwagon Inn. The Stanwood man reportedly was intoxicated and trying to drive away. Officers reportedly tried to subdue the man with a stun gun as he sat at the wheel of his car.
Status: Detectives continue to investigate. The officer involved remains on paid leave.

July 2 09
Snohomish County deputies shoot an Arlington man after 911 was called about a domestic violence case.
Dwight Monnie, 64, died later at a Seattle hospital as a result of gunshot wounds.
Status: Detectives continue to investigate. The two deputies were placed on paid leave.

Aug 7 09
Lake Stevens at Highway 9 and Soper hill road a driver of a white pickup was shot by an officer, and pronounced dead on the scene. There was a gun found at the scene, but with no details as to where it was at the time of the shooting.

It has gotten to the point where citizens might rather be car jacked, instead of pulled over by law enforcement.

The county has organized a group of internal investigators under the acronym SMART. In five of the six cases all of the officers were released back to patrol. The SMART group has been under a lot of pressure to hand the people a case. I believe this is rightfully so. In the other cases there have been no mention of discharged weapons, except from the police. We spend millions looking for non-lethal weapons, but still resort to killing people. There needs to be a change in procedure. With police acting as Judge, Jury, and Prosecution-er; There is no correction of behavior.

So what defense do the people, of America, have against the people we hire, to keep us safe. Legislature has a system of checks and balances. Neither system works. Every day, in the United States, another law is passed, taking the rights away ,from the people. I believe the power should be with the people, but seldom do the people stand up to take it.

The people were turning their heads through all, of the police killings. Very little revolt has taken place. Now, the owner of a Corvette has gained enough attention to gain respect. The SMART, investigators have found themselves in a position where they had to hand a head, on a silver platter. Is it that the financial standings of this man has made the populous believe it could happen to any of us. It is about time.

We need to change the shoot first policy. Charging this officer with first degree manslaughter is the first step, in the right direction. I am sadly disappointed that the maximum penalty is five years. I think it is hardly a deterrent to firing a weapon at the citizens. I feel like law enforcement has forgotten who they are to protect and serve.

I understand that the police are faced with different scenarios daily. It is hard for them to decide what is considered a threat to their safety, and what is not. A high centered Corvette is not a threat to any one.

In addition to the eight rounds fired into the drivers compartment (seven on target); The words muttered just before the discharging of the weapon was said to be. "Let's finish this right here." Almost makes this premeditated. I do not believe the officer intended to kill the citizen when he arrived for work; but I also do not believe the officer has a conscious desire not to kill people either.

We are at the mercy of each officers individual morals every day; and although we know there are crooked cops, we keep telling ourselves, they are upholding the law.

Does the law say we should die, before we kill? We all have the potential to kill; so are we all to be shot before we get out of hand? The TV show COPS shows what the police want us to see, and even that seems out of control. Often they show four cops on the back of one guy, yelling "Stop Resisting", while they club, tazer, and compress the subject into the ground. The subjects arm pinned beneath four guys as they continue to yell " PUT YOUR ARM BEHIND YOUR BACK! STOP RESISTING!"

As clients of the corporation called "Law Enforcement" should we not be treated as people, in the very least. I understand the need for people to be subdued; so I stop short of calling that abuse. Murder on the other hand is unacceptable. Maybe we have to take the guns away from the cops, and give them batons only. It works in England.

It is time to take a stand. Work together to stop this " License to kill belief" and retrain our policemen and women. We can no longer believe that they have the morals that prevent death, but we must insist those morals are instilled.