0K6A6541.jpg
Lester Black

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) released dash cam and body cam video of an SPD cop shooting and killing a man on New Year's Eve in Seattle. In the videos, which were posted to YouTube this afternoon, six officers can be seen chasing the man across Highway 99 and then appearing to struggle with him on the ground near a sidewalk.

Officers can be heard on the video identifying a gun on the man before one of the officers opens fire, as well as warning the man multiple times that "You're going to get shot" if he continues to resist arrest. One officer appears to have his gun drawn within point blank range of the man. Another officer can be heard saying "taser, taser, taser."

Approximately 20 seconds pass between when officers first verbally identify the gun on the man and the shot is fired. I asked SPD spokesperson Sean Whitcomb what changed during those 20 seconds to require an officer to open fire but he declined to comment.

"That is the subject of the investigation and not something that I can comment on," Whitcomb said.

Whitcomb said Officer Jared Keller, a three-year veteran of the department, fired the shot at the man. Keller has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation, according to Whitcomb.

Only one shot can be heard in the video.

Whitcomb said six officers were on the scene when the man began to run from the car. SPD released body cameras from five of the officers, Whitcomb said the sixth camera didn't offer any additional perspective.

Family members of the deceased man spoke with KIRO 7 News, identifying him as a 36-year-old Iosia Faletogo. The man's family told the Seattle Times that he had two young children.

We've decided to post the video in this post but viewers should be warned that this is a graphic video.

Update: 6 p.m.

This is at least the second time Keller has been involved in a fatal shooting. In December of 2017, Keller was one of seven police officers that opened fire on a man in Magnuson Park. According to the Seattle Times, the man had led officers on a car chase through North Seattle while shooting at them. The officers were able to stop the man in Magnuson Park, where they opened fire on him. The man died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Times.