Trial begins for Everett officer accused of murder

Published 6:49 pm Wednesday, April 14, 2010

EVERETT — Troy Meade is the first police officer in Snohomish County to go on trial accused of committing murder in the line of duty.

The 11-year veteran will not be the only officer on trial in the coming days, jurors were told today.

In opening statements this afternoon, Meade’s attorney David Allen made it clear that he also intends to question the actions and memory of Everett police officer Steven Klocker.

“Officer Klocker simply is not credible,” Allen told a Snohomish County Superior Court jury. “He ran away that day. He was not backing up Troy Meade that day.”

Klocker witnessed Meade shoot and kill Niles Meservey outside the Chuckwagon Inn. Klocker later told investigators that he didn’t believe he or anyone else, including Meade, were in imminent danger, deputy prosecutor John Adcock told jurors.

Klocker could testify as early as Thursday.

“Police officers are supposed to serve and protect. On the night of June 10, 2009 the defendant did neither,” Adcock said. “On June 10, 2009 the defendant committed murder. Alternatively the defendant committed manslaughter.”

Meade plans to testify, Allen said. He is expected to tell jurors that he feared for his life and the lives of those people around him.

Adcock told jurors that Meservey was highly intoxicated, belligerent and uncooperative. He refused to obey Meade’s orders to get out of his vehicle even after he was shocked twice by a stun gun.

Klocker told detectives that Meade began shooting after saying something like “Time to end this. Enough is enough.”

Analysis of the trajectory of the bullets show that Meade wasn’t in danger, Adcock said.

His first witnesses in the case included the lead detective in the case and patrons from the restaurant where Meservey had been drinking.