KENT, Wash. – Jury selection commenced on Monday for the trial of a suburban Seattle police officer facing murder charges in connection with the death of a 26-year-old man outside a convenience store in 2019. Auburn officer Jeff Nelson is accused of fatally shooting Jesse Sarey during an arrest attempt for disorderly conduct, an interaction that lasted only 67 seconds, according to authorities. Sarey, sadly, was the third individual that Nelson has killed while on duty.
Prosecutors revealed that surveillance footage from nearby businesses shows Nelson struggling with Sarey, delivering multiple blows to his head, and firing two shots at him. After the first shot hit Sarey in the upper abdomen, leaving him wounded on the ground, Nelson allegedly cleared a jam from his gun, glanced at a witness nearby, and then shot Sarey again – this time in the forehead, as stated by the prosecutors.
This trial is the second of its kind since Washington voters removed a standard in 2018 that made it easier to charge police officers, requiring prosecutors to prove that the use of force was unreasonable or unnecessary. In a similar case in December, three Tacoma police officers were acquitted in the death of Manuel Ellis.
Nelson claimed in a written statement that he believed Sarey was armed with a knife and posed a threat before firing the first shot. He further stated that Sarey was in a threatening position on his knees before the second shot was fired. Nelson has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree assault charges.
Having joined the department in 2008, Nelson is an Iraq war veteran. The city of Auburn has settled a civil rights claim with Sarey’s family for $4 million and has paid almost $2 million in other litigation related to Nelson’s actions as a police officer.
In another incident involving Nelson, the city agreed to a $1.25 million settlement with the family of Isaiah Obet, who was killed by the officer in 2017. Obet, who was reportedly involved in a burglary and attempted carjacking with a knife, was bitten by a police dog and then shot by Nelson. Despite claims from Obet’s family that he posed no threat, Nelson shot him a second time as he tried to get up from the ground.
Additionally, Nelson was involved in the shooting death of Brian Scaman, a Vietnam veteran with mental health issues, during a traffic stop in 2011. Scaman, who was carrying a knife, was fatally shot by Nelson after refusing to drop the weapon.
The trial, presided over by King County Superior Court Judge Nicole Gaines Phelps at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, is anticipated to last several weeks. Judge Gaines has ruled that jurors will not be informed of Nelson’s previous use of deadly force or Sarey’s drug history.
The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, responsible for certifying police officers in the state, has taken steps to discipline and potentially revoke Nelson’s badge due to what they term as a repeated pattern of “intentional or reckless disregard for the rights of others.”