Lawyer tries to block release of 911 tapes, surveillance videos and journal from SPU shooting
Jul 1, 2014, 12:23 PM | Updated: Jul 2, 2014, 7:41 am
Accused SPU gunman Aaron Ybarra is led into court June 6th, 2014. His defense attorney is seeking to block release of 911 tapes, surveillance videos and Ybarra's journal.(AP file)
(AP file)
The lawyer for the alleged gunman who opened fire at Seattle Pacific University last month, killing one man and injuring two other people, is trying to block the release of 911 recordings and surveillance videos of the June 5 attack.
Public defender Ramona Brandes is also asking a judge to prevent the release of Aaron Ybarra’s personal journal following a request by media outlets.
In her filing with a King County court, Brandes argues the release would violate Ybarra’s state and federal constitutional rights and impede his ability to receive a fair trial.
“Media interest in this matter has been extreme, with multiple stories in local, national, and international media,” Brandes writes in the filing. “While the public and the media have some right to access information in a criminal case, that right cannot supersede the defendant’s right to a fair trial.”
Ybarra, 26, is charged with one count of murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of second-degree assault.
The King County Prosecutor’s Office and Seattle Police Department have notified Brandes they plan to release the information to media on July 8 and 9 unless a judge prevents it.
Brandes argues in addition to violating Ybarra’s rights, release of the surveillance video would “substantially and irreparably damage the alleged victims and witnesses.”
“Release of the surveillance video is likely to inflame the public as it depicts at least one of the shootings, and will likely force all those present to relive those terrible hours over and over as it is broadcast around the world,” she writes.
Ybarra is accused of walking into Otto Miller Hall on the SPU campus and shooting three students before pausing to reload, when he was tackled by a fourth student, John Meis.
Paul Lee, 19, of Portland, died at Harborview Medical Center. Sarah Williams, 19, of Phoenix; and Thomas Fowler Jr., 24, of Seattle were both injured.
Following Ybarra’s arrest, King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg said police had discovered Ybarra’s journal in a pickup truck he parked nearby the campus. In it, he referenced his admiration for the gunmen at Columbine High School in Colorado and Virginia Tech.
Brandes argues releasing the journal would violate Ybarra’s privacy and expose others not connected to the shooting to an onslaught of potentially harmful media attention.
