Ian Birk
Officer Ian Birk sits in the courtroom January 11, 2011. (KIRO Radio/Alex Silverman)

Officer acts out moments before woodcarver shooting, witnesses testify

January 13, 2011 @ 5:34 am (Updated: 1:30 pm - 3/28/11 )

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By ALEX SILVERMAN
MyNorthwest.com

The Seattle officer who shot and killed a native woodcarver last August was back before an inquest jury Wednesday.

In the courtroom, Officer Ian Birk showed an inquest jury what he saw the moments before he pulled the trigger.

As if he were the homeless wood carver, officer Ian Birk acted out John Williams' movements in the moments before he fired.

Starting with his back to the courtroom, Birk slowly turned to his right, eyes wide, staring at Williams' family attorney Tim Ford, holding a pen in front of him as if it were the knife.

Birk said Williams ignored him when he told him to drop the knife.

Of the knife, closed when he found it next to Williams' body, Birk said, "It did surprise me having just seen Mr. Williams with the knife in his hand."

Ford also asked Birk if had been coached by his attorney prior to testifying. King County District Judge Arthur Chapman did not allow him to answer.

Watch Seattle Times video of Ian Birk in court:

Wednesday afternoon, the first civilian witness to testify, told the jury she didn't see Williams do anything she perceived as threatening.

Another witness testified that he saw Birk fire at someone he couldn't see, and did not sense "any delay at all" between the time the officer got out of his car and the time he fired."

Testimony was expected to resume Thursday morning.

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Comments (20)


  • Add A Comment

  • hpitantso wrote...
    Birk
    January 13, 2011 6:05 am
    You have been watching WAY too much TV!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • annmw wrote...
    re-enactment
    January 13, 2011 7:18 am
    wow. Off Birk's re-enactment of Mr. Williams is something. I don't think that was a very intimidating looking stance he portrayed. Am I the only person who noticed that that face Birk makes while doing re-enactment isn't an angry face, that is what Mr. Williams looked if not smiling. I still can't get over the fact he shot him after 4 sec, 4 times until he fell to the ground. How about a leg or a shoulder!! What about firing on the street, I think more people were in danger from Off Birk than a drunk woodcarver who wasn't bothering anybody.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • therealajmccarrell wrote...
    Notice that MYNW didn't run the story...
    January 13, 2011 7:31 am
    of the witness that testified yesterday that Williams was not acting threatening.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • therealajmccarrell wrote...
    Oh yeah and......
    January 13, 2011 7:36 am
    fry Birk. The man needs to die like a rodent.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • caspian wrote...
    hero
    January 13, 2011 8:02 am
    Birk is a hero. He protects us everyday and people are disgusting for not praising him.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • therealajmccarrell wrote...
    caspian
    January 13, 2011 8:08 am
    Um, based on what exactly? Normally, people consider people that shoot other people in the back to be cowardly. It doesn't take much courage to gun a man down who poses no threat to you. Not to mention that Birk is a new guy and already had two formal write-ups for brutality prior to this incident. He's a thug who managed to stay under the radar long enough to get a badge.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Nervoso wrote...
    By this guy Caspians definition
    January 13, 2011 9:24 am
    Hitler would be a hero, too.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cabanaboy wrote...
    “I’m pretty sure I saw the Knife”
    January 13, 2011 9:50 am
    Oops!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • MG345 wrote...
    Birk's a good actor...
    January 13, 2011 10:45 am
    It will be beneficial when he has to play Bubba's wife in prison.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • annmw wrote...
    what?
    January 13, 2011 10:47 am
    just read on twitter that Birk's lawyer says cars may have blocked witnesses view of Mr. Williams agressive move to Off. Birk. that's funny, I just watched the video of Birk's testimony yesterday and he states that after Williams turned around he never made any more movements. wow again. unbelievable.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }