SEATTLE — Seattle Police Officer Jason Anderson told investigators that Charleena Lyles suddenly pulled a knife out of her pocket and was “coming right at my stomach” during a burglary call last Sunday that led to the fatal shooting of the woman in her apartment, according to statements from the officers involved.
Anderson’s description was contained in transcripts of recorded interviews with Anderson and another officer, Steven McNew, who shot Lyles after she summoned the officers to her Northeast Seattle apartment to investigate what she described as a burglary of her apartment.
The shooting of Lyles, an African American, by the two white officers has drawn condemnation from her family and sparked public outcry from others, who believe race was factor in the use of lethal force.
Lyles had struggled with mental-health issues, according to her family and court records.
Among the documents’ main points, Anderson reported he had both pepper spray and a baton and McNew had a club (neither had Tasers), but they said they were left with no choice but to use lethal force. The documents also included images of seven knives in the apartment, including one reportedly in Lyles’ coat.
During questioning Tuesday, Anderson said he jumped back and sucked in his abdomen to avoid getting stabbed in the stomach with a knife 4 to 5 inches long.
Anderson, who joined the department in 2015, said he drew his pistol, asked for fast backup on his radio and, along with McNew, told Lyles to “get back.”
He said McNew, a Seattle officer since 2008, asked him to stun Lyles. Anderson said he told McNew he didn’t have a Taser.
Lyles then began quickly advancing on McNew, Anderson said, describing himself as in “fear that she was gonna try and kill my partner … ‘cause she was going after him.”
As Lyles turned a corner to go after McNew, Anderson said, he fired from 4 to 5 feet away and saw Lyles fall to the ground.
Anderson said he wasn’t carrying a Taser because the battery in his died two weeks earlier, but he told investigators he wouldn’t have used it anyway because he was trained to use lethal force when someone is attacking with a knife.
As he maintained cover with his gun on Lyles, Anderson said, McNew picked up a child grabbing onto Lyles.
A third officer who arrived at the scene began giving first aid to Lyles, Anderson said, adding that he started to help before moving away as his hands were shaking.
Anderson said he was the first officer called to the scene Sunday morning, and that he asked for a second officer after learning there was an officer-safety caution on Lyles stemming from a June 5 domestic-disturbance incident. In that case, she displayed a pair of long scissors at officers before dropping them. But Anderson said there was no need to frisk her because it was a typical burglary call.
Anderson said the conversation with Lyles began normally, involving what was missing in the apartment, before Lyles drew the knife as her “face changed completely.”
He said he did not have time employ de-escalation techniques.
On Thursday, police released surveillance video from the hallway outside the apartment, which shows that no one other than Lyles left or entered her apartment in the hours before she was shot.
