Seattle police expand body-worn camera use

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle police officers assigned to federal law enforcement task forces will now be required to wear and activate body-worn cameras during arrests.

Interim police Chief Adrian Diaz updated the agency’s policy after an Seattle detective was one of three officers who fatally shot California homicide suspect Marshall Jones III last week in the Seattle suburb of Kent, The Seattle Times reported.

Officers were trying to arrest him in the January disappearance and presumed death of his ex-girlfriend, 24-year-old Alexis Gabe.

The updated policy will ensure encounters with suspects are captured on video — and provide consistency for Seattle officers working with federal and state agencies, Diaz said.

Seattle Detective Matthew Lilje, a Snohomish County sheriff’s detective and a deputy U.S. marshal — all assigned to the Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force — opened fire on Jones last Wednesday when he charged the officers with a knife, according to Seattle police.

Diaz said the policy update will affect eight to 10 Seattle officers who serve on such interagency teams.

“When you’re not providing information about an incident or you don’t see a video, it leaves a lot of questions for the community,” Diaz said.