成人X站

MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Lyles inquest resumes following a week of graphic, emotional testimony

Jun 27, 2022, 7:19 AM

Charleena Lyles...

Two women embrace at a memorial for Charleena Lyles at the apartment building in which Lyles was killed on June 20, 2017, in Seattle, Washington. Officers from the Seattle Police Department shot and killed Lyles, a pregnant mother of four, on June 18. (File photo by David Ryder/Getty Images)

(File photo by David Ryder/Getty Images)

The first week of testimony in the inquest into the Seattle Police shooting death of Charleena Lyles included two days of graphic, emotional testimony from the lead investigator, first responders, and neighbors.

On Tuesday, jurors were walked through the timeline by Seattle Police Detective Jason Dewey, who in 2017 was a member of the Force Investigation Team leading the investigation into the shooting on the morning of June 18, 2017.

Lyles called 911, reporting a burglary. It was just past 9:30 a.m. when Officer Jason Anderson arrived and called for backup from Officer Steven McNew. Anderson deemed backup necessary because of Lyles’ previous interactions with police two weeks earlier.

Detective Dewey read from Anderson’s statement during testimony, highlighting that Lyles was a potential threat to law enforcement based on that earlier incident.

鈥淚 noticed that, at some point, the officers had contacted her relating to a [domestic violence] incident, and she was sitting on the sofa with a pair of scissors. It sounded like they were uncomfortable with her holding the scissors,鈥 read the statement.

鈥淪he made some sort of statement in that report that none of you were going to leave here, or something like that. Then she made some other statement related to her and her daughter turning into wolves or something to that effect, just kind of a strange statement that would make the officers request more units once they arrived.”

“They were able to get her to put down the scissors at some point, so it sounded like she complied. But this was concerning to me,鈥 Dewey continued as he finished reading Anderson鈥檚 statement for the jury.

Moments after that conversation, Officers Anderson and McNew headed to Lyles’ door, responding to her 9-1-1 call about a burglary. Video from the building and microphones on the officers are linked up to audio and video of what happened, as officers were not required to have body cameras back in 2017.”

“The video only shows the officers in the hallway outside of the front door, but you hear the swift escalation on their mics, as one minute they’re talking to her … and the next the officers are heard yelling, ‘Get back! Get Back!,’ followed by multiple gunshots. A total of seven shots between the two officers.”

Just before those gunshots, you also hear Officer McNew yell 鈥渢aser,鈥 explained Dewey, but Officer Anderson responded that he did not have a taser.

Attorneys for Lyles’ family asked what other non-lethal options they had with them, which Dewey explained included batons and O.C. spray, but he testified the investigation appeared to indicate neither officer ever attempted to use those methods before opening fire.

Ban of video livestream in inquest into death of Charleena Lyles denied by administrator

The proximity of Lyles’ children to the shooting was also highlighted on the first day of testimony, with Dewey testifying two of the young children had been in the living room when their mother was shot. A third, that the officer had not realized was even in the apartment, was in a bedroom.

Some of the more powerful testimony was about the two children who were in the living room. Dewey was asked to read from a portion of Officer McNew鈥檚 statement regarding what he saw after Lyles was shot.

鈥淲hen she landed on the floor, she landed facedown, and I’m yelling out to Anderson at this point, asking Jason if he’s okay. He says he’s okay. And one of the little babies crawls out from behind and right on top of her, resting his head against her, and then another kid pops out of a bedroom.

“We had no idea there were any other people in the apartment, and he pops out, and I’m thinking ‘oh my God,’ his mom’s on the floor dying,鈥 said McNew,” in his statement Dewey read for the inquest jury.

Attorneys for the officers also brought up that, during the confusion before the shooting, you can hear Lyles in the audio saying 鈥渄o it,鈥 but it’s not clear exactly what that might have meant.

Dewey testified the entire incident from the time the officers arrive at Lyles’ door to the time that they report shots fired was less than four minutes.

Day two of the inquest included more emotional testimony of those first on the scene of the shooting, including Officer Erick Schickler who testified about why he deemed it necessary to get Lyles’ children outside before starting chest compressions on Lyles.

鈥淚 deemed it very important because when you render the type of first aid … it was going to be extremely horrific to a small child,鈥 explained Schickler, who also detailed handing two of the children over to a neighbor 鈥 Lhorna Murray 鈥 before going back inside to get the infant.

The jury was also shown video of Murray and another woman, Mary Ruffin, captured from a police cruiser dash cam as they tried to console Lyles’ children. Later, Ruffin sobbed as she recalled Lyles’ 12-year-old son crying as he said “they shot my mom,” according to the Seattle Times.

Lawyers for the officers objected to the jury being shown the video, arguing it was 鈥渕ore inflammatory than probative,鈥 but were overruled by inquest administrator Micheal Spearman.

Lyles’ family says she had suffered from mental illness, and that the two officers did not do enough to de-escalate the situation. Following the first day of testimony, they had not changed their minds. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been on this cliffhanger for five years, and the information that I’m getting now is not鈥’m not changing my mind that you murdered my cousin. I’m thinking even more now, you guys murdered my cousin,鈥 Lyles’ cousin Katrina Johnson told 成人X站7.

The inquest jury will be asked to figure out if the facts surrounding Lyles’ death are within SPD policy, and whether there was any criminality involved. The King County prosecuting attorney has already found that no crime was committed, but they are monitoring the inquest.

A final decision will be pending until the outcome of the inquest. Seattle police had already found that the shooting was within policy.

The city of Seattle recently settled a wrongful death suit over Lyles shooting death with the family for $3.5 million.

The Lyles is expected to resume Monday, June 27.

MyNorthwest News

FILE - A person holds drug paraphernalia near the Washington Center building on SW Washington Stree...

James Lynch

Seattle introduces new drug prosecution alternative

The City of Seattle has a new program aimed at keeping people arrested for misdemeanor drug use and possession out of jail.

3 hours ago

Washington State University (Photo Courtesy of 成人X站 7)...

Sofia Silvia

More than 500 universities sign letter against federal cuts, WSU absent

As the Trump administration makes funding cuts to universities nationwide, many university presidents are banding together to take a stand.

5 hours ago

FILE - The headquarters of the U.S. Department of Education, March 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Pho...

MyNorthwest Staff

Federal investigation launched into Washington鈥檚 education office

The federal government steps in over La Center's pronoun policy amid tensions with Washington and the Trump administration.

5 hours ago

Gig Harbor Police Car...

Frank Lenzi

Driver crashes into four parked cars in Gig Harbor shopping center parking lot

A driver crashed into four empty cars in a Gig Harbor parking lot.

7 hours ago

Lynnwood mail theft...

Jason Sloss, 成人X站 7 News

Lynnwood man using cameras to fight back against mail thieves

Mail theft is a growing crime around Puget Sound, and a Snohomish County man is doing what he can to fight back. 鈥淚 installed the cameras back in 2022 when mail theft got really bad around here,鈥 said Erik Watt, who installed cameras outside mailboxes on his street in Lynnwood.

9 hours ago

electricity demand...

MyNorthwest Staff

Electricity demand for WA, surrounding areas could double by 2046, experts say

The Pacific Northwest's demand for electricity could double over the next two decades, according to an energy forecast from regional experts.

10 hours ago

Lyles inquest resumes following a week of graphic, emotional testimony