Judged by XII: A King County Local Dive podcast. The hands shown here belong to Auburn Police Officer Jeffrey Nelson, who has been charged with homicide in the 2019 death of Jesse Sarey.

Judged by XII: A King County Local Dive podcast. The hands shown here belong to Auburn Police Officer Jeffrey Nelson, who has been charged with homicide in the 2019 death of Jesse Sarey.

JUDGED BY XII: Auburn officer’s violent past presented in pretrial hearing

Episode 6 in this special podcast series that explores Jeffrey Nelson’s history of violent interactions with community members prior to the killing of Jesse Sarey.

This episode explores Nelson’s violent history against members of the Auburn community prior to the killing of Jesse Sarey. These instances, explained during a pretrial hearing, include using a Taser and choking a man until he was unconscious then exaggerating on the police report and Nelson’s celebratory reaction after a police K9 attacked a child.

This is the sixth installment of a special podcast series on Nelson, who is the first police officer to be charged with murder since Washington voters approved Initiative 940, which changes the burden of proof for prosecution of police homicides.

LISTEN HERE:

MORE EPISODES

Episode 1: A month after Nelson shot and killed Jesse Sarey in 2019, he sat down at an Auburn police substation with his lawyer to read a prepared statement on the killing. However, Nelson’s statement regarding the killing conflicts with the eyewitness’s account on key details. The Auburn Reporter has obtained audio of these statements through public records requests.

Episode 2: This episode explores Nelson’s pattern of violent behavior and misconduct while working with the Auburn Police Department. Records show Nelson used force against civilians 92 times between May 2011 and November 2018, and 57 of those incidents resulted in injuries that required medical attention — a higher rate than the rest of the department’s officers.

(Warning: This episode contains graphic language and depictions of violence)

Episode 3: This episode explores King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg’s decision to charge Nelson with second-degree murder and first-degree assault. We also take a closer look at Initiative 940. Warning: This podcast contains audio of the shooting of Jesse Sarey, who was killed by Officer Nelson in 2019.

Episode 4: This episode explores the life of Jesse Sarey through the eyes of his foster mother, Elaine Simons, who talks about Sarey’s struggles with mental illness and homelessness.

Episode 5: This episode explores how a judge ordered the release of 38 unredacted photos of Auburn Police Officer Jeffrey Nelson’s tattoos on his arms, back and legs, but not his chest or stomach. The released photos show portions of Nelson’s body covered in tattoos of skulls, spiderwebs, a grim reaper, and other dark imagery.

You can also listen here on Spotify.

About this podcast

The King County Local Dive is a new weekly podcast that highlights headlines from Sound Publishing newspapers throughout Washington state’s largest and most diverse county. A new episode is available every Friday. Each episode features original watchdog reporting from our local journalists with a focus on how we hold our public entities and public officials accountable.

Stories for the King County Local Dive are first reported in Sound Publishing’s King County newspapers: Federal Way Mirror, Auburn Reporter, Kent Reporter, Renton Reporter, Enumclaw Courier-Herald, Mercer Island Reporter, Snoqualmie Valley Record, Kirkland Reporter, Issaquah Reporter, Redmond Reporter, Bothell-Kenmore Reporter, Bellevue Reporter and Seattle Weekly.


Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in News

Stolen merchandise is piled up at the Safeway Distribution Center, the result of the Auburn Police Department’s multi-jurisdictional investigation into a pawn shop scheme. (Photo courtesy of Auburn Police Department)
Police recover millions of dollars in stolen property after pawn shop scheme

Pictures and videos from inside the Safeway Distribution Center show boxes and… Continue reading

t
Kent Police Blotter: Feb. 28 to March 12

Incidents include multiple store robberies, shootings

File photo
Kent Police investigate possible hit-and-run that left one man dead

A 33-year-old Kent man was found in a driveway.

File photo 
Washington State Capitol Building in Olympia.
Push to lower legal limit to 0.05 for driving drunk falls short

OLYMPIA — An effort to lower the legal limit for driving drunk… Continue reading

File Photo.
Kent Police give update on Feb. 28 traffic fatality

Police clarify that the situation suspected to be a hit-and-run was not so.

Kent’s Independent Salary Commission meeting on March 13. (Cameron Sheppard/Sound Publishing)
Commission approves pay raises for Kent mayor and city council

The City of Kent’s Independent Salary Commission recently approved a pay raise… Continue reading

t
BJ Cummings to talk about the Duwamish River’s human and natural history

Greater Kent Historical Society one of sponsors of April 6 event at Kent Commons

t
Half Lion Public House finds success at Riverbend in Kent

Three previous restaurants at city-owned golf complex went out of business

t
City of Kent-owned Riverbend Golf Complex turns a profit in 2022

Sale of par 3 course helped pay for major upgrades at driving range and eliminated loan debt

Most Read