The Video: The Shooting of John T. Williams

Posted at 2:11 p.m. and updated with better sound: The first version of the video we posted included a cacophony from talk radio (presumably playing inside the patrol car) in the left channel. We've removed the left audio channel in the video below so you can hear Officer Birk's mic much more clearly as he gives commands to Williams and recounts the events to officers afterward.

Here's the just-released, 17-minute video taken from the dashboard camera of Seattle Police Officer Ian Birk's patrol car before, during, and after he fatally shot John T. Williams:

Just after 1:00 minute, the video shows Williams shuffling across the street—carrying a board and minding his own business—in front of Birk's squad car. Birk jumps out and yells, "Hey, put the knife down." Then Birk follows Williams out of the frame. After two more commands (audible while the men are off screen) there are shots fired that killed Williams. A woman is also shown crossing the street who appears to witness the whole thing from maybe 20 feet away.

After 2:00, Officer Birk says, "Ma'am, he had a knife and he wouldn't drop it."

At 2:30, backup cars arrive.

At about 3:00, a voice (probably Birk's) says, "Yeah, I am okay. He had the knife open." (The investigation has since said that police found the knife closed.)

At 5:10, another officer can be heard telling Birk, "You did the right thing. Hang in there, Ian."