I am the person quoted above as seeing the bullet casings. I think this is an incredibly important part of the story, and one of the precious few facts that exists. It's a fact because I saw it with my own eyes. I want to expand on that a bit...

I live on the block where this happened, almost directly across from the house BPD was heading to deliver the warrant.

I did not see the shooting. I don't believe anyone besides the Bellevue SWAT team saw the shooting. I awoke to the sound of yelling, followed by shooting.

Regarding the number of shots fired. I saw SPD -- which ran the investigation of the scene -- lay out markers for 19 shell casings on the street and sidewalk, and an additional 4 markers on top of the Mercedes. SPD are the ones who really counted the casings, I simply watched with binoculars from my 2nd-floor bedroom window.

I don't know what those 4 markers on top of the car meant, but I personally saw an individual shell casing for each of those 19 markers.

So, Bellevue PD fired a minimum of 19 shots and perhaps as many as 23.

As an eyewitness to some of what happened, I am troubled by what is and is not being confirmed. For example, why confirm that three officers opened fire, but offer no comment on how many shots were fired? I am trying hard to be impartial because I know we ask a tremendous amount from police, but the cynic in me says BPD shares the info on how many officers fired because that supports the contention that multiple officers feared for their lives, while the number of shots fired is a testament that an otherwise quiet Seattle neighborhood was briefly turned into a war zone.

One other fact to highlight, as I saw it with my own eyes... The Mercedes engine was still running at least an hour after the shooting. Again, I saw this with my own eyes. The exhaust was coming from the rear end. I watched with binoculars from my house. The engine was not turned off until SPD SWAT took over from Bellevue SWAT.

I can't figure out how the Mercedes engine was still running for at least an hour after the shooting but the car did not budge. Was it in park? In neutral? Did someone set the emergency brake? If yes, who did that? Does a car sitting there with its engine running but not moving contradict the BPD statement that he pulled forward and so was shot?

Lots of questions. This was an incredibly disturbing event and an absolutely scary show and use of force.

Just a thought: how about whenever a police agency plans a raid in Seattle where the expected risk of violence is so high as warrant the use of a SWAT team, we maybe bring emergency medical support along to stand by just outside the secure perimeter?

In case a cop or perp gets shot, that way they don't have to bleed out on the sidewalk while everybody is busy lobbing flash-bang grenades in search of other perps.

Unless the entire point is to ensure that perps expire on the sidewalk if at all possible, I mean.

heavyJ -- thanks for your input/reporting. Very interesting.

@3 et al. You are so right about simultaneously bringing in medical support. I do wonder if the noise of incoming emergency vehicles interferes with the SWAT element of surprise, but that noise can be modified to not interfere. I'd bring in trauma mental health support for the neighbors and others at the scene. Those children, for one set that is particularly vulnerable, are traumatized in this case, no doubt. Trauma effects can manifest much later in children ad adults, even years later. Following soldiers from previous wars, like WWII, has shown how long things can be dormant and come back when other parts of us are no longer compensating.

The real tragedy is that we have let our 'police force' become beast-like, and now our political leadership who we are led to expect holds the real power in this representative society is proving itself not equal to the situation. There is a real trap that has grown up in our country. We went from a semi-compassionate way of life to one that has allowed fear of the other to rule our responses. We are a punitive society, paternalistic. We meet problems with 'arrest and incarcerate' solutions. The public consensus is pretty much that, not just that of the paid staff of the policing and justice systems. "Throw away the key". "Three strikes and you're out." "Two strikes" for some things. School "Resource Officers" are now replacing principals and their one-on-one 'interviews'. We are losing our feel for what is a civilized life.

We need the people who help us to stand back and get a grip. Where ever they come from.

Please send any info, pics, video, or stories relevant to this story or any other local police stories to SeattleCopBlock@gmail.com

Seattle Cop Block aims to aid in police transparency, by filming and exposing the police.

https://www.facebook.com/SeattleCopBlock

Please send any info, pics, video, or stories relevant to this story or any other local police stories to SeattleCopBlock@gmail.com

Seattle Cop Block aims to aid in police transparency, by filming and exposing the police.

https://www.facebook.com/SeattleCopBlock

The full story is "all gonna come out once the dust settles," Major Michael Johnson from the Bellevue Police Department told the room.

I believe, Major Johnson, the "full story" will come out when you all agree on the lie you're going to tell the public, and no one with any critical thinking skills is going to believe it.

The residents of the Columbia City neighborhood where this Bellevue SWAT shooting occurred have organized a community forum (on 4/22) focusing on three topics --- prevention, incident management and crisis management. What could have been done to prevent this incident? How could the immediate situation been managed better? And what's the response and support for communities in the aftermath?

Seattle civic leaders will attend. Bellevue civic leaders have been invited.

You can learn more at this page: https://www.facebook.com/events/24604138…