Summary

King County Executive Dow Constantine today ordered an inquest into the fatal shooting of Dennis Clark III by Federal Way police on April 21, 2013.

Story

King County Executive Dow Constantine today ordered an inquest into the fatal shooting of Dennis Clark III by Federal Way police on April 21, 2013.

Police responding to the report of a shooting at the Pinewood Village Apartments in the 33300 block of 18th Lane South say they confronted an armed man and ordered him to drop his shotgun, but he did not comply. Police opened fire and wounded the man, causing him to drop the weapon, but they say he fled and fell to the ground near one of two men who had been shot earlier. Police say the man reached for a gun on the ground nearby, and police opened fire again, killing him. Police found four other people had been shot to death at the scene.

King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg recommended the inquest after his office reviewed materials from the Valley Investigative Team, which conducted the investigation. Inquests are fact-finding hearings conducted before a six-member jury. Under a standing Executive Order, they are routinely called to determine the causes and circumstances of any death involving a member of any law enforcement agency within King County while in the performance of his or her duties.

Inquests provide transparency into law enforcement actions so the public may have all the facts established in a court of law. The ordering of an inquest should carry no other implication. Inquest jurors answer a series of interrogatories to determine the significant factual issues involved in the case, and it is not their purpose to determine whether any person or agency is civilly or criminally liable.

The order signed by the Executive requests King County District Court Presiding Judge Corinna Harn to assign a judge to set a date and conduct the inquest.

The ordering of inquests is a function vested in the county executive under the King County Code.

Read the Executive Order on Conducting Inquests in King County at: www.kingcounty.gov/operations/policies/executive/publicaeo/phl711aeo.