Seattle area residents and family members of Tommy Le demanded answers from King County officials during a public forum about his fatal shooting by a deputy in June.
King County Sheriff John Urquhart, County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg and County Office of Law Enforcement Oversight Director Deborah Jacobs were among those who attended the forum Wednesday evening at the Asian Counseling and Referral Service in Seattle.
The 20-year-old Le was fatally shot in Burien June 13 while responding to reports that Le was threatening people with a knife. Authorities say deputies confronted Le, who refused commands to drop what they thought was a knife. More than a week later, the sheriff's office reported Le had a pen, not a knife.
Through an interpreter, Le's father told the crowd, "There's no pain like losing my son."
Others at the forum wanted to discuss broader issues.
A man who said he was a former police officer in what was formerly South Vietnam said through an interpreter that he is concerned about the militarization of the police force.
Urquhart said given the lack of public trust, he doesn't believe any police department should investigate itself.
He said he would ask the FBI to take over the investigation, as Le's family has called for.
