Everett officer pleads not guilty to manslaughter charge amid a show of support

Published 2:34 pm Friday, November 6, 2009

EVERETT — The Everett police officer accused of fatally shooting an intoxicated Stanwood man in June made his first court appearance Thursday.

Officer Troy Meade, an 11-year police veteran, stood before a Snohomish County Superior Court judge to plead not guilty to first-degree manslaughter in a deadly shooting during the line-of-duty.

Meade, 41, is accused of recklessly causing the death of Niles Meservey, 51, of Stanwood. Meservey was shot to death June 10 while sitting behind the wheel of his Chevrolet Corvette, parked outside the Chuckwagon Inn on Everegreen Way.

Investigators believe Meade opened fire after Meservey refused to obey the officer’s orders to get out of the car. Meade twice used an electric stun gun in an attempt to subdue Meservey. The Stanwood man refused to get out of his vehicle and drove his Corvette into a chain-link fence.

Meade fired his handgun eight times through the car’s back window.

Meservey was struck seven times and died in the parking lot of the restaurant.

On Thursday, Meade, dressed in a dark-blue pinstriped suit, nodded and smiled at more than a dozen Everett police officers who filled the courtroom.

The officers were there in support of Meade, his attorney David Allen said.

Allen believes his client will be acquitted at trial, scheduled for April 9. Meade has declined to provide a statement to investigators.

“He is concerned, but he has faith that it will work out in his favor,” Allen said. “He is heartened by the support from his fellow police officers.”

The officers, none in uniform, gathered around Meade outside the courtroom and walked outside with him. They have been ordered not to speak about the case with reporters.

Everett Police Chief Jim Scharf also has declined to speak with reporters, referring all questions to an attorney hired to represent the city in the case.

Meade was allowed to remain free on his own personal recognizance.

Snohomish County deputy prosecutor John Adcock asked that Meade remain in the state unless he gets permission from the court ahead of time.

Adcock also asked that Meade be prohibited from contacting any witnesses and not possess any weapons, including guns. Allen argued against the request. Meade has no desire to possess guns but his inability to do so could affect his job, Allen said.

Meade remains on paid administrative leave from the 200-officer department.

“Officer Meade has an exemplary record,” Allen said, adding that his client was in the military and is a veteran police officer.

Superior Court Judge Eric Lucas granted the prosecutor’s request. He told Meade to come back to court if the order affects his job.

Detectives with the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team also attended Thursday’s hearing.

The special team of homicide detectives spent about four months investigating the fatal shooting.

They interviewed more than a dozen witnesses, took hundreds of pictures, inspected three vehicles and used computers to reconstruct the scene of the shooting.

Investigators believe Meade was attempting to prevent Meservey from driving off.

Patrons twice called police to report that Meservey was drunk and attempting to drive. Police who first arrived at the scene didn’t find Meservey in the area. Investigators believe he was drinking at another nearby tavern.

Meade responded to a second call and found Meservey sitting inside the Corvette.

A second Everett police officer, Steve Klocker, also arrived at the scene. He told investigators Meade was trying to get Meservey to get out of the car.

Meade fired his electric stun gun at Meservey through the driver’s window and shocked the man twice. Meservey quickly recovered and started up his car and rammed a chain-link fence.

Klocker told investigators Meade then took a big step backward and opened fire.

Klocker first told detectives he remembered Meade said something like, “Time to end this; enough is enough,” just before the shooting. The officer said he believed Meade was speaking to him — not the driver — before he opened fire.

Klocker also told investigators that immediately after the shooting, Meade said he believed their lives were in danger.

Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com.