Mother of fatally shot teen wants case reopened

[BluesBear]

09:29 PM PST on Saturday, November 15, 2003

By TRICIA MANNING-SMITH / KING 5 News


SEATTLE - An aspiring artist has been killed and although the shooter admitted to firing the gun, no one is in jail yet.

King County prosecutors determined that the shooter acted in self-defense but no charges were filed against him.

Now, the mother of the 18-year-old feels victimized again, this time by the justice system.

William Jeffries went to a party in January 2002 with his brother and some friends, where an unlikely argument erupted primarily between two families and quickly escalated into a beer bottle brawl.

According to witnesses, a man was cut in the neck and his cousin went and grabbed a 40-caliber Glock.

“You have to keep in mind to put yourself in the shoes of the individual who has the gun,†said King County Deputy Prosecutor Kathy Van Olst. “He doesn't have it pulled. He's at the front yard of the home, he's tending to his cousin who has blood spurting out of his neck from a neck wound …and suddenly out the door burst the very individuals who harmed him as well as his cousin.â€

He admittedly shot William Jeffries three times.

In an interview later with police, the shooter said he "thought" Jeffries was coming at him with a weapon.

King County prosecutors determined they could not prove that the shooter did not act in self-defense. They filed no charges.

Nearly two years later, Michelle Jeffries’ grief fuels her passion to bring the shooter to court.

She insists he was murdered and has started a petition drive, trying to force prosecutors to bring charges against the admitted shooter.

William Jeffries worked two jobs, including one as a video game tester at Microsoft. He was attending college and wanted to be a computer animator.

 

[Andrew Rothman]

"The best way to handle any potentially injurious encounter is: Don't be there. Arrange to be somewhere else. Don't go to stupid places. Don't associate with stupid people. Don't do stupid things."

John Farnam, Defense Training International, Inc.
http://www.defense-training.com/quips/19Mar03.html

It's a shame this promising young man innocently found himself one of the aggressors in a broken-beer-bottle brawl.

Sorry, mom. It is a tragedy, but your dead son, by his actions, helped determine his own brief destiny.

--

From a legal standpoint, I find it interesting that although not a reluctant participant, the shooter wasn't even charged. Any Washingtonians or lawyers (or both) with any insight?

 

[BluesBear]

IIRC, in the original incident, the shooter was outside with his wounded cousin, who was bleeding badly from a laceration on his neck. The soon to be deceased WIlliam Jefferies, came running out the door yelling and threatening. The shooter then stood up and drew his Glock and as Jefferies ran towars him he shot him until he fell diown.

Now a reasonable person, knowing that Jefferies had already attacked and wounded his cousin, could, understandably, be expected to think that the same person running toward you, yelling even more threats, was going to attack you again.

It's my opinion that while the prosecutors up here in King & Snohomish counties aren't exactly lenient, they are at least reasonable when it comes to self-defense. If they allow a petition to influence them then our system is no better than mob rule.

 

[greyhound]

These sorts of cases really depress me. Is there anywhere in this country where things are settled by a good old-fashioned fist fight anymore?

Not meaning a near death stomping, either, but akin to a boxing match. I'm early 30s and in my neck of the woods this is how we handled things in "my day" when there was an argument at a party.

And sorry, maam, though your loss is tragic, when your little angel is going around cutting people with beer bottles, I'd say he shares in the responsibilty for this senseless death.

 

[Henry Bowman]

Washington has pretty strong use of lethal force laws (e.g., you may use lethal force to stop a felony in progress. If the shooter didn't go looking for a fight, but armed himself for defense and went back to get his friend (cousin?), and other usual elements are there, he wouldn't be charged.

Maybe mom should sue for wrongful death if she has such a good case. Standards of proof are lower (see, O.J. Simpson case) and she may find a tilecrawler who whould take the case. Though I hope she doesn't.

Disclaimer: I am an attorney (admitted in WA), but I don't play one on the Internet.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Don't go to stupid places. Don't associate with stupid people. Don't do stupid things.

That works pretty well for intelligent people.

 

[Moparmike]

Indeed a tragic loss...

King County prosecutors determined that the shooter acted in self-defense but no charges were filed against him.

Am I the only one who sees a smidge of slant here? "But" no charges were filed against the man who was determined to be acting in the best interest of himself and his freshly-injured cousin? Umm, no charges are ever filed against someone acting in self-defense. Its not the way we do things.

Maybe I am just seeing into this waaaay too much.

 

[Feanaro]

Umm, no charges are ever filed against someone acting in self-defense. Its not the way we do things.

But all people who use violence should go to jail! Because violence is, like, never the answer. It's just... totally wrong.

 

[45-auto]

Other folks with more knowledge of Washington law should check me on this one, but:

I believe that, in Washington

• 
  *IF a person is charged with some catagory of manslaughter or homicide
  
  *AND that person mounts a self-defense argument in court and wins acquital
  
  *THEN the county is obliged to pay the defendant's legal fees

As you can see, this would seriously discourage the filing of charges against self defense shooters.

I hope we haven't sunk to the point where petitions influence such decisions, but this did happen in the Seattle metro area, where there are a lot of emotion driven left-wing whack jobs who vote.