SEATTLE — An inquest into the events surrounding the death of a former Port Townsend man in a police shooting will hopefully clarify how the incident unfolded, his mother said Monday.
Sam Toshiro Smith, 27, was shot and killed on July 17, 2015 by Seattle Police Officer Shaun Hilton, 35, after Smith brandished what was later identified as a sushi knife.
Smith was shot three times by Hilton on Ravenna Avenue in Seattle after Smith hit a Seattle police patrol car on Interstate 5.
“I just don’t want this to be rubber stamped whether it goes anywhere or not,” Sarah Fitch said of the inquest.
“As a parent, I can’t accept that my son was killed in this fashion. It is so far beyond comprehension of any kind.”
The inquest begins at 9 a.m. today in courtroom W355 at the King County Superior Court building, 516 Third Ave. in Seattle with District Court Judge Anne Harper presiding.
Six-person jury
The inquest, which is expected to take about three days, includes a six-person jury that will hear witness testimony and draw conclusions about the event in question.
The information gathered can be used to support a prosecution or to become evidence in a civil case, lawyers say.
Fitch is to be represented by Sunitha Anjilvel while Hilton’s advocate is Evan Bariault, who is representing him as an individual and not as a member of the police force.
The inquest itself doesn’t have any teeth, Anjilvel said, but its conclusion can have a bearing on the case should it go any further.
The questions asked and answered during the inquest will be factual and focus on details of the incident, such as whether a light was green or red at a certain time, rather than focused on personal aspects, such as testimony on whether Smith’s behavior was out of character.
“I would love to [present that information] but it’s not allowed,” Angilvel said.
“The inquest is not supposed to be a fishing operation for a civil case.”
Civil case?
Angilvel said the decision whether to pursue the case in civil court will be made after the inquest concludes.
“The inquest process is a public hearing that essentially sheds light, facts and evidence,” Barriault said.
“It is a publicly ordered hearing into the cause, manner and death of an individual, that is required after every officer-involved shooting.”
Hilton is currently on active duty, Barriault said.
A dashcam video of the incident, which Anjilvel has bee seen “hundreds of times,” is public record.
The police department reported that two seconds elapsed between the officer’s warning and the shooting, something challenged by both Fitch and Anjilvel.
“It really seems like it was less than two seconds and Sam wasn’t given a chance to respond,” Angilvel said.
Adds Fitch “I’ve been a nurse for 30 years and I’m used to dealing with unstable and inebriated people. Usually you can find a way to deal with them without shooting.”
Fitch concedes that Smith was clearly impaired but “he wasn’t a leaping ninja,” she said.
“We want to shed light on what did happen,” Angilvel said.
“This will be our first opportunity to hear what the officer has to say.”
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
