Jury selection for the trial of the first officer in Washington state to be charged with murder under a new legal standard for police began yesterday.

Why it matters: Auburn police's Jeffrey Nelson was charged in connection with the death of 26-year-old Jesse Sarey under the law created by Initiative 940.

• The initiative revised an earlier state statute that made it almost impossible to criminally charge police who kill in the line of duty.
• It was approved by voters in 2018 and means that prosecutors no longer need to prove an officer acted with evil intent, or malice.
• Nelson has pleaded not guilty to first-degree assault and second-degree murder.

Flashback: Other officers were charged later under the new state law but received earlier trials. Tacoma officers Christopher Burbank and Matthew Collins were charged in 2021 with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter in connection with the death of Manuel Ellis.

• A third Tacoma police officer, Timothy Rankine, was charged with first-degree manslaughter in connection with Ellis' death.
• All three Tacoma officers were acquitted by a jury in December.

Driving the news: Nelson's trial is at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent before King County Superior Court Judge Nicole Gaines Phelps.

What they're saying: Charging documents filed in 2020 allege Nelson shot Sarey twice during an attempted arrest for disorderly conduct outside an Auburn grocery store on May 31, 2019.

• Witnesses had called 911 to report Sarey was throwing items and kicking walls and vehicles, per court documents.

The 67-second fatal struggle between Nelson and Sarey was captured by video surveillance and audio recording, per the documents.

• "That struggle unfolded in a series of quick, escalating interactions and ended with Officer Nelson shooting Mr. Sarey twice," prosecutors wrote in the charging document.
• The charging document cites a detailed statement by Nelson in which he writes that Sarey had taken his knife and he thought Sarey was going to stab him.
• Prosecutors allege in the documents that a witness had picked up a knife that dropped on the ground two seconds before Nelson fired his first shot.

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The median Seattle area down payment rose to a whopping $165,400 in February, up 31% year-over-year, according to a Redfin report.

Why it matters: Homebuyers are having to reach deeper into their pockets on the front end to soften the impact of steep mortgage rates on monthly payments, Redfin researchers say.

• The median U.S. down payment in February was 15% of the purchase price, up from 10% a year earlier, per the report.

Reality check: Without equity from selling a home to boost their down payment, first-time buyers are struggling to even get their feet in the door.

Between the lines: Those who put at least 20% down can avoid the added cost of private mortgage insurance.

Go deeper: What people are sacrificing to afford housing

🩺 More than a dozen international students have been in quarantine since April 10 at a King County hotel after they were exposed to measles.

• None of the students have tested positive or shown any symptoms since their exposure, per Public Health-Seattle & King County. (MyNorthwest)

🏒 Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis left open the possibility of coaching changes after the franchise missed the playoffs in their third year. (Sportsnet)

📌 WeWork is aiming to hold onto a location in Ballard, filing a motion to assume a restructured lease at 1448 NW Market St.

• The coworking company, which is in strategic restructuring after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last year, still operates seven locations in the Seattle area. (GeekWire)

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has been named the nation's top airport for the third time in a row, according to one annual ranking.

Driving the news: Sea-Tac (SEA) placed first in the U.S. and 24th overall among 100 airports globally, per the Skytrax World Airport Awards for 2024 based on 13 million passenger satisfaction surveys.

• Vancouver International Airport (YVR) was ranked the best airport in North America this year.

The big picture: Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, was named the world's best airport, followed by Singapore Changi Airport and Seoul Incheon Airport.

Yes, but: Last year, a J.D. Power survey of customer satisfaction with terminal facilities, security, food options and more at the 20 largest airports in the U.S. and Canada put Sea-Tac in 18th place out of 20.

State of play: Sea-Tac is in the middle of a five-year, $5 billion capital investment upgrade with multiple major projects underway, including concourse expansion, restroom renovations and road improvements.