The inquest into the 2017 shooting death of 33 year old Robert Lightfeather by Federal Way Police has completed its first day.
The first witness, Sharon Mendiola, told the jury she saw a man who jumped off a ledge at the Pink Elephant car wash and later saw a man waving a gun and appearing to be in a shouting match with another man. Mendiola was asked by Pat Anderson, an attorney for the inquest administrator, if she had concerns for her safety or that of anyone else, to which she answered yes on both counts.
Mendiola later told the family’s lawyer, Teri Rogers Kemp, that the area was dimly lit and that her car windows were rolled up, so Mendiola acknowledged that she couldn’t actually hear what the two men were yelling at each other. She also, at one point, indicated that some of what was happening was being relayed to her by her brother, who was in the car at the time. Mendiola admitted giving a fake name to the 911 operator, saying that she was also scared by her first-ever call to 911.
The inquest administrator also denied a request that he ask prosecutors grant immunity to officers Tyler Turpin and Austin Rogers in order to get their full testimony in this hearing.
The inquest is expected to continue until October 4th.
