DES MOINES, Wash. — A crucial witness was a "no-show" for the inquest into the deadly shooting of a Des Moines teenager.
The teen was shot and killed by three King County sheriff's deputies in late January during a homicide investigation that went wrong.
"He had indicated through his attorney that he wished to testify," King County Deputy Prosecutor Kelsey Schirman said. "Now that has changed."
She broke the news after lunch. Their key witness in the inquest no longer wanted to testify.
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"I did indicate the mother of him had reached out and was very upset about him being transported from the cell," she said.
The teen was a suspect in the slaying of the son of a Seattle police officer in a Sammamish park last January. He was traced to the home of his 17-year-old friend, Mi'Chance Dunlap-Gittens.
A team of experienced King County sheriff's deputies was assembled to take him down, complete with tracking dogs and the Guardian One helicopter. An undercover detective testified that wasn't unusual.
"Having a K-9 and having a helicopter immediately available to us often times keeps people from being hurt," Detective Eric Gagnon said.
But the operation didn't go as planned.
"And I hear shots fired, shots fired, over the radio," he said.
Three deputies opened fire on Dunlap-Gittens. The detective said he worked to save him, but the teen died. All of it is galling to his parents.
"Can you imagine how afraid these kids were?" asked Alexis Dunlap, the dead teenager's mother. "I mean they're just kids. My son's at home. It's Friday night. They walk right outside and these doors open to these vans and people are jumping out at them. Jumping out and shooting at them."
In the end, neither teen was involved in the homicide.
As for the teen who declined to come to court Tuesday, Judge Susan Mahoney issued an order that he is to come Wednesday, so he will have one more chance to testify during the inquest.
Testimony is expected to wrap up by week's end.
Cox Media Group
