EDIT: He had previously killed two others, also with shots to the forehead for which he escaped charges.
A jury found a suburban Seattle police officer guilty of murder Thursday in the 2019 shooting death of a homeless man outside a convenience store, marking the first conviction under a Washington state law easing prosecution of law enforcement officers for on-duty killings.
Nelson was taken into custody after the hearing. He's been on paid administrative leave since the shooting in 2019. The judge set sentencing for July 16. Nelson faces up to life in prison on the murder charge and up to 25 years for first-degree assault. His lawyer said she plans to file a motion for a new trial.
Nelson had responded to reports of a man throwing things at cars, kicking walls and banging on windows in a shopping area in Auburn, a city of 70,000 about 28 miles (45 kilometers) south of Seattle. Callers said the man appeared to be high or having mental health issues.
Nelson confronted Sarey in front of the store and attempted to get him into handcuffs. When Sarey resisted, Nelson tried to take Sarey down with a hip-throw and then punched him seven times. He pinned Sarey against the wall, pulled out his gun and shot him. Sarey fell to the ground.
Nelson’s gun jammed, he cleared it, looked around and then aimed at Sarey’s forehead, firing once more.
Prosecutors said Nelson punched Sarey several times before shooting him in the abdomen. About three seconds later, Nelson shot Sarey in the forehead. Nelson had claimed Sarey tried to grab his gun and a knife, so he shot him in self-defense, but video showed Sarey was on the ground reclining away from Nelson after the first shot.
Nelson claimed Sarey tried to grab his gun, leading to the first shot. He said he believed Sarey had possession of his knife during the struggle and said he shot him in self-defense. Authorities have said the interaction lasted 67 seconds.
Prior to fatally shooting Sarey, Nelson killed Isaiah Obet in 2017. Obet was acting erratically, and Nelson ordered his police dog to attack. He then shot Obet in the torso. Obet fell to the ground, and Nelson fired again, fatally shooting Obet in the head. Police said the officer’s life was in danger because Obet was high on drugs and had a knife. The city reached a settlement of $1.25 million with Obet’s family.
In 2011, Nelson fatally shot Brian Scaman, a Vietnam War veteran with mental issues and a history of felonies, after pulling Scaman’s vehicle over for a burned-out headlight. Scaman got out of his car with a knife and refused to drop it; Nelson shot him in the head. An inquest jury cleared Nelson of wrongdoing.
Reading in to the details of this case what he did to that homeless man. Holy fuck this cop is a psychopath.
Even tho he executed this man, he was still on paid administrative leave since the shooting in 2019. What in the actual fuck?! Most people are fired for less.
Gordopolis_II on July 2nd, 2024 at 01:19 UTC »
EDIT: He had previously killed two others, also with shots to the forehead for which he escaped charges.
LavenderScented_Gold on July 2nd, 2024 at 02:21 UTC »
Forehead shots? He was just doing executions. Throw this guy in the prison’s foundation.
pokemomof03 on July 2nd, 2024 at 02:45 UTC »
Reading in to the details of this case what he did to that homeless man. Holy fuck this cop is a psychopath.
Even tho he executed this man, he was still on paid administrative leave since the shooting in 2019. What in the actual fuck?! Most people are fired for less.