Axios Seattle

April 23, 2024
It's Tuesday 🌕 and there's a full "pink moon" in Scorpio tonight.
- Due to the cathartic nature of Pluto, this could be a transformative period for assessing what works and letting go of what doesn't, some astrologers say.
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Today's weather: ☀️ Partly sunny with a high near 68.
Today's newsletter is 752 words, a 3-minute read.
1 big thing: Officer's murder trial begins
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.
2. Down payments go up in Seattle


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.
3. Morning Buzz: Measles quarantine
🩺 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)
4. Sea-Tac is best U.S. airport, survey says
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.
💃🏽 Clarridge danced like no one was watching (and really, no one was) at a performance by a geezer band (their name, not hers) over the weekend, and wow, was it fun.
Editor's note: Yesterday's story on the Mariners was corrected to reflect that the Mariners beat the Rockies, not the Rangers, in a three-game series April 20 and 21.
This newsletter was edited by Rachel La Corte and copy edited by Egan Millard.
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