Seattle council hears from public about fatal shooting

SEATTLE — Seattle residents and family members of Charleena Lyles demanded change from Seattle city officials during a public hearing about her fatal shooting by police earlier this month.

The full Seattle City Council attended the hearing Tuesday evening at the University of Washington, which the Seattle King County NAACP called for last week.

Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole and Mayor Ed Murray didn’t attend, which prompted criticism from the Lyles family and others.

Officers Steven McNew and Jason Anderson shot and killed Lyles June 18 in front of three of her children after she called police to report a burglary and then allegedly confronted officers with kitchen knives.

The killing has prompted outrage among family and community members, who questioned why the officers couldn’t use nonlethal methods in the incident and suggested race played a role.

Lyles was black, and the officers were white.