Everett cop fired for shooting man to death in 2009
EVERETT, Wash. - An Everett police officer who shot a man to death outside a restaurant in 2009 has been fired from the force.
The officer, Troy Meade, 42, received a letter last week from Everett Police Chief Jim Scharf informing him that his employment was being terminated, effective Friday.
An internal police investigation determined that Meade violated department policies when he shot Niles Meservey to death in June 2009 outside the Chuckwagon Inn.
In his letter, Chief Scharf said Meade's actions in that incident were "inexplicable." Scharf said Meade could have used several other options to defuse the situation without using deadly force.
Meservey, 51, of Stanwood was intoxicated and sitting in his Corvette in the parking lot of Chuckwagon Inn on the night of June 10, 2009, 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 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.
Meade then opened fire, hitting Meservey seven times.
One officer at the scene told investigators that Meade said something along the lines of, "Time to end this, enough is enough," just before firing the shots.
But Chief Scharf said in his letter that Meade had plenty of other options at his disposal, including simply stepping out of the way of the vehicle.
A jury acquitted Meade of murder and other charges last year, but also determined that the shooting wasn't justified as self-defense. Another officer who was there testified that the shooting was not warranted.
The city agreed to pay Meservey's family $500,000 in February to settle a wrongful death lawsuit. The case had been scheduled to go to trial in April.
The officer, Troy Meade, 42, received a letter last week from Everett Police Chief Jim Scharf informing him that his employment was being terminated, effective Friday.
An internal police investigation determined that Meade violated department policies when he shot Niles Meservey to death in June 2009 outside the Chuckwagon Inn.
In his letter, Chief Scharf said Meade's actions in that incident were "inexplicable." Scharf said Meade could have used several other options to defuse the situation without using deadly force.
Meservey, 51, of Stanwood was intoxicated and sitting in his Corvette in the parking lot of Chuckwagon Inn on the night of June 10, 2009, 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.
 Niles Meservey |
Meade said Meservey 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.
Meade then opened fire, hitting Meservey seven times.
One officer at the scene told investigators that Meade said something along the lines of, "Time to end this, enough is enough," just before firing the shots.
But Chief Scharf said in his letter that Meade had plenty of other options at his disposal, including simply stepping out of the way of the vehicle.
A jury acquitted Meade of murder and other charges last year, but also determined that the shooting wasn't justified as self-defense. Another officer who was there testified that the shooting was not warranted.
The city agreed to pay Meservey's family $500,000 in February to settle a wrongful death lawsuit. The case had been scheduled to go to trial in April.
