Three Kent Police officers will not face criminal charges in the fatal shooting last year of Patrick Reddeck inside his home.
“We completed our review and we have declined to file criminal charges against the officers,” said Dan Donohoe, spokesman for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, in an email Tuesday.
A King County inquest jury concluded Oct. 26 that officers Tim Lontz, Tom Riener and Travis Wilson fired their weapons because they believed Reddeck presented a threat of death or serious bodily injury to them.
An inquest requires jurors to determine facts in a case involving a police shooting. Jurors do not determine fault, money damages or policy reviews. Inquests are to provide transparency into law enforcement actions so the public may have all the facts established in a court of law.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office reviewed the information from the investigation, led by Auburn Police, and the findings of the inquest to make an independent determination regarding whether or not criminal charges are warranted.
The officers fatally shot Reddeck, 38, on the afternoon of Oct. 12, 2016, in his home at 437 Jason Ave. N., after officers said they saw him display a gun as they entered the home to execute a search warrant. Officers were at the home related to a suspicious death in August 2016 at the residence of Amy Derheim, 41, the girlfriend of Reddeck, who lived with her.
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