EVERETT, Wash. -- An arbitrator has upheld the firing of Everett Police Officer Troy Meade.
The arbitrator decided last week that the police chief had good cause to fire Meade for the 2009 shooting death of Miles Meservey, a suspected drunken driver in a restaurant parking lot. The arbitrator wrote that the death could have been avoided.
The Daily Herald reports the ruling is binding and likely ends a three-year dispute that has cost the city more than $1.25 million.
Meade was acquitted of a murder charge, but the same jury concluded the shooting was not self-defense.
Meservey was intoxicated and sitting in his Corvette in the parking lot of the Chuckwagon Inn when witnesses, worried Meservey would drive away, called police.
Meade was one of several officers who responded and boxed in Meservey's car with their patrol cars.
Meade said Meservey, 51, refused to get out of his Corvette after he had hit him with a Taser. The car lurched and Meade said he thought he was about to be pinned.
"The vehicle started to come at me," Meade testified.
Meade then opened fire, hitting Meservey seven times.
Prosecutors said Meade intentionally killed Meservey, and another officer who was at the scene testified that he didn't believe the shooting was necessary to prevent Meservey from driving away.
Officer Steve Klocker told investigators that after the driver refused to comply, he heard Meade tell him, "I don't know why the (expletive) I'm trying to save your dumb (expletive), maybe to keep you from killing yourself or driving."
Klocker told investigators he remembers seeing the cars' "back-up lights." Klocker also said prior to opening fire, Meade said something along the lines of, "Time to end this, enough is enough."
An internal police investigation determined that Meade violated department policies when he shot Meservey.
Jim Scharf, who was chief of the Everett Police Department when Meade was fired, wrote that the officer's actions were "inexplicable." Scharf said Meade could have used several other options to defuse the situation without using deadly force.
The arbitrator decided last week that the police chief had good cause to fire Meade for the 2009 shooting death of Miles Meservey, a suspected drunken driver in a restaurant parking lot. The arbitrator wrote that the death could have been avoided.
The Daily Herald reports the ruling is binding and likely ends a three-year dispute that has cost the city more than $1.25 million.
Meade was acquitted of a murder charge, but the same jury concluded the shooting was not self-defense.
Meservey was intoxicated and sitting in his Corvette in the parking lot of the Chuckwagon Inn when witnesses, worried Meservey would drive away, called police.
Meade was one of several officers who responded and boxed in Meservey's car with their patrol cars.
Meade said Meservey, 51, refused to get out of his Corvette after he had hit him with a Taser. The car lurched and Meade said he thought he was about to be pinned.
"The vehicle started to come at me," Meade testified.
Meade then opened fire, hitting Meservey seven times.
Prosecutors said Meade intentionally killed Meservey, and another officer who was at the scene testified that he didn't believe the shooting was necessary to prevent Meservey from driving away.
Officer Steve Klocker told investigators that after the driver refused to comply, he heard Meade tell him, "I don't know why the (expletive) I'm trying to save your dumb (expletive), maybe to keep you from killing yourself or driving."
Klocker told investigators he remembers seeing the cars' "back-up lights." Klocker also said prior to opening fire, Meade said something along the lines of, "Time to end this, enough is enough."
An internal police investigation determined that Meade violated department policies when he shot Meservey.
Jim Scharf, who was chief of the Everett Police Department when Meade was fired, wrote that the officer's actions were "inexplicable." Scharf said Meade could have used several other options to defuse the situation without using deadly force.