Seattle City Council members Sally Clark and Bruce Harrell just issued a joint statement on the Bellevue Police shooting in Columbia City two weeks ago. As I reported at the time, neighbors disputed the police account of the story and were trying to get better answers from both police departments.

Clark and Harrell's statement:

Two weeks ago the Bellevue Police Department attempted to serve a warrant in Columbia City. That action went terribly wrong to our minds. The result was the arguably unnecessary loss of life of the suspect, destruction of private property and the blooming of deep anger and suspicion from the neighborhood about police operations and law enforcement’s regard for the community.

We appreciate Bellevue Police Department Chief Linda Pillo’s request that the Seattle Police Department handle the officer-involved shooting investigation. A complete account must explain why the Bellevue PD choose to carry out the warrant service in the way they did and what steps were taken to ensure service of the warrant would result in the lowest risk of violence for both the suspect and the surrounding families.

Serving a warrant on an alleged violent offender can be dangerous and without question requires preparation. Officers must take steps to be safe. However, neighborhoods, whether in Bellevue or South Seattle, should be assured best practices are followed to ensure safety for all. Neighbors around 42nd and Hudson and throughout South Seattle deserve a full explanation of what happened March 22.

Both SPD and BPD have refused my public disclosure requests related to the incident, citing the ongoing investigation.

In further local neighbors-dispute-police-account-of-a-shooting news, Indian Country Today has a story this week on the February shooting of Jack Keewatinawin by Seattle Police, which also took place in a residential neighborhood where neighbors take issue with the official story released by SPD.