SEATTLE — The inquest into the fatal shooting of Charleena Lyles by two Seattle police officers is underway.
The officer-involved shooting happened in North Seattle five years ago. Inquest proceedings began Tuesday morning.
The first person to testify was Detective Jason Dewey with the Seattle Police Department’s Force Investigation Team.
"When I responded I knew that I was going to be the primary and lead detective on that investigation,” said Dewey.
During proceedings, Detective Dewey answered questions about the investigation that started on June 18, 2017, after Lyles called 911 to report a break-in and request that an officer come to her home.
Investigators say a check of her address and name brought up her recent contact with police and an alert "listing her as a threat to law enforcement,” according to Dewey.
Dewey explained that responding officer Jason Anderson requested another unit, and Officer Steven McNew arrived.
Silent surveillance video synchronized with police body-worn microphones was entered into evidence, and the video showed the moment when officers knocked on the door of Lyles’s apartment. Within a few minutes, shots were fired.
"I was told that subject Lyles had produced a knife, and that both officers had fired their duty weapons, and that she was pronounced deceased at the scene,” said Dewey.
Lyles, 30, was pregnant and killed in front of her children.
Testimony providing a timeline along with photos of evidence were part of day one of this inquest.
No drugs and alcohol were found in Lyles' system. Her family members have previously stated that she has a history of mental illness, and according to them, officers did not properly handle the situation.
The inquest will continue on Wednesday. Proceedings could last until July 6.
The King County inquest process for officer-involved deaths went through an upheaval in 2018 to make the process more transparent and meaningful.
Some of the changes include using retired judges to serve as administrators to oversee the process, and a staff attorney being hired. Officials from the investigating agency offer testimony. The prosecuting attorney's office no longer has the power to subpoena the responsible officer, and that officer cannot be forced to testify. Jurors are now asked whether the officer's actions complied with department training and policy instead of being asked whether the officer had reason to fear for their life.
Those changes were challenged by law enforcement but held up by the state supreme court in 2021, hence the delay for the inquest in Lyles' case.
King County is unique in Washington in that it requires an inquest jury be convened for every death caused by law enforcement.