An inquest into the death of a 20-year-old man in a 2019 officer-involved shooting by a Renton Police Department sergeant was finalized on April 22.
Six jurors deliberated and answered questions regarding the June 15, 2019, shooting death of Mantry Norris, 20, at the Cheers Bar and Grill in Renton where the Renton Police Department’s Sgt. Eric Gordon shot Norris after he attacked an individual with a knife in the building. Norris died at the scene.
Jurors listened and watched five days of presentations of evidence, including testimony and video footage of the incident prior to providing answers to 64 interrogatories — fact-finding questions — regarding the incident. The questions spanned the factual events surrounding Norris’s shooting and death, medical aid, compliance with Renton’s departmental policies and training, and the legality of Norris’s shooting.
Judge Marcine Anderson, administrator for the inquest into Norris’s death, read and confirmed the jury’s answers to the interrogatories on April 22.
Jurors unanimously agreed that Norris called 911 on the evening of June 15, 2019, stating there were two men smoking crack in a vehicle outside the Cheers Bar and Grill, with Sgt. Gordon and Officer Christine Paget of the Renton Police Department arriving in response to the call.
Jurors agreed that Sgt. Gordon saw Norris in front of the building. Asked whether Sgt. Gordon heard Norris “shout out that he was going to harm people” outside the building, three jurors answered yes and three answered unknown.
One juror agreed with the statement that Sgt. Gordon saw Norris holding a knife outside the Cheers Bar and Grill, with five answering unknown. All jurors answered no to whether Officer Paget saw Norris holding a knife outside the establishment.
Jurors unanimously agreed that Norris entered the bar and grill with a knife, that Sgt. Gordon entered the building after Norris, and that Norris displayed the knife within the building.
Five jurors agreed that an individual in the establishment heard Norris say “don’t make me kill him” within the bar and grill, with one answering unknown.
Jurors unanimously agreed that Sgt. Gordon observed Norris run at the individual, brandishing a knife, and injured the individual with the knife.
Jurors unanimously answered that Norris did not charge at Sgt. Gordon with a knife in his hand.
All six jurors answered that Sgt. Gordon did not warn Norris that deadly force would be used and that it would not have been feasible for Sgt. Gordon to warn Norris that deadly force would be used.
Jurors unanimously agreed that Sgt. Gordon struck Mr. Norris six times, with Officer Paget handcuffing Norris after he was shot.
Jurors agreed across the board that neither Sgt. Gordon nor Officer Paget rendered medical aid to Norris following the shooting. Five jurors answered yes that Sgt. Gordon believed Norris to be deceased shortly after the shooting, with one answering unknown; and five answered yes and one unknown that Sgt. Gordon determined he was unable to provide effective medical aid to Norris prior to the arrival of the Renton Regional Fire Authority and King County Medic One.
Jurors unanimously agreed that neither the Renton Regional Fire Authority nor King County Medic One medics provided any lifesaving efforts to Norris after arriving within a few minutes after the shooting.
Two jurors answered yes, and four unknown to whether Norris died within five minutes after Sgt. Gordon shot him.
Jurors unanimously agreed that Norris died as a result of one or more shots fired by Sgt. Gordon, and that Norris was handcuffed when the medical examiner arrived.
Regarding whether it was reasonable for Norris to remain handcuffed after he was deceased, one juror answered yes, three answered no, and two answered unknown.
Four jurors answered affirmatively that Sgt. Gordon complied with Renton Police Department policy regarding use-of-force, with two answering unknown. Five jurors answered yes that Sgt. Gordon complied with the training he received while implementing the department’s use-of-force policy.
Jurors unanimously agreed that Sgt. Gordon complied with both Renton Police Department policy and training he received regarding use-of-deadly-force.
Five jurors answered affirmatively that Sgt. Gordon complied with departmental policy regarding medical aid, with one answering no; and three agreed and three answered unknown that Sgt. Gordon complied with the training he received regarding medical aid.
Four jurors agreed and two answered unknown to two questions regarding whether Sgt. Gordon complied with the department’s policy on handcuffing and the training he received regarding handcuffing.
Jurors unanimously agreed that Sgt. Gordon complied with departmental policy and training on biased-based policing.
Regarding the legality of Norris’s death, four jurors answered that Sgt. Gordon’s use of deadly force served as legally justifiable, with two answering unknown.
One juror answered affirmatively that Sgt. Gordon caused Norris’s death by criminal means. Five jurors answered no.
