And the killing of her son - who she said was having a mental health crisis - left her struggling with an unresolved question: “How many people can a police officer kill before they’re held accountable?”Īs cities grapple with high-profile killings by police and protesters fill the streets to demand justice, this is a question some police reform advocates are beginning to ask - particularly in places like Vallejo, California, where at least 14 officers were accused of bending the tips of their badges to mark each of their fatal shootings.
For Smith’s mother, Rose Johnson, Myers appeared far too ready to pull the trigger. Family Photoīut his conduct has been questioned by judges, lawyers, officials and relatives of the people who died at his hands. Ryan Smith, 31, was killed by police in 2019. He denied any racial bias in the shootings. In an interview with NBC News, Myers attributed his repeated use of deadly force to a combination of factors, including threats posed by armed suspects, a willingness to rush toward danger and a confidence honed through years of experience and tactical training. And according to the independent unit within the department that investigates allegations of wrongdoing, the Office of Police Accountability, only Smith’s killing was referred for review, and there was no finding of misconduct. The Seattle Police Department declined to say whether Myers acted appropriately in each encounter, though officials gave him an award in at least one case. Three people were killed in the shootings and one was seriously injured.
Myers, who is white, also belongs to a rare but significant class of American law enforcement officers: He’s used deadly force multiple times in his career, firing his gun in four separate incidents in the last 11 years. Christopher Myers, an officer with the Seattle Police Department, fired his gun in four separate incidents in the last 11 years.
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