Initiative 940 overhauled Washington state’s law on police shootings.
OLYMPIA, Wash. — On June 27, Jeffrey Nelson became the first police officer in Washington state to be found guilty of murder since the passage of an initiative that makes it easier to prosecute officers for negligent shootings.
Nelson was found guilty of second-degree murder and first-degree assault in the fatal shooting of 26-year-old Jesse Sarey in 2019.
Though he’s the first officer convicted, Nelson isn’t the first tried under the law. Three Tacoma police officers faced charges in the death of Manuel Ellis. However, all three were acquitted following a 10-week trial in 2023.
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