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	Nov. 4, 2003 Sims to call for inquest in McCord Case; Snohomish County Executive Drewel concurs King County Executive Ron Sims today called for an inquest into the death of Harold McCord, Jr., with the support of Snohomish County Executive Bob Drewel. Snohomish County is limited by its own statutes on inquests and does not have in place policies and procedures for conducting the type of broad inquests as King County currently does, Drewel said he supports the inquest, which is a fact-finding process only. McCord, a third strike inmate who was about to be sentenced to life in prison who escaped from the Pierce County Courthouse on June 23, was shot by law enforcement officers from Monroe. Family and friends of McCord have called for an inquest into the shooting. Drewel said he had explored calling for an inquest, but that Snohomish County is limited by statute code in its investigative authority and use of inquests, and does not have in place policies and procedures for conducting the type of broad inquests as King County currently does. Drewel noted that the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team (SMART), which investigates law-enforcement related deaths, conducted a thorough investigation and issued its report at the end of September. Drewel expressed his confidence in the team’s findings. Sims routinely calls for an inquest into the causes and circumstances of any death involving a member of any law enforcement agency within King County while in the performance of duties. However, since the shooting occurred in Snohomish County, involving police from cities within Snohomish County, King County would have no jurisdiction in this case under its normal procedures. While Snohomish County code allows an inquest to examine causes only, but procedures in King County also allow for an examination of circumstances surrounding a death, which is why Sims agreed to call for a fact-finding panel to be established in this case. "Executive Drewel supports examining the circumstances of this event, something the Snohomish County statutes does not authorize," Executive Sims said. "The inquest is a fact finding effort, which examines a body of evidence in a case. It does not determine guilt or innocence, only the facts." Sims sent a letter to the King County Superior Court, asking that they schedule this inquest procedure. A hearing judge and an inquest date will be established by the King County Superior Court. Updated: Nov. 5, 2003 Executive's home Executive's news Executive's site map | E-mail the Executive King County | Executive | News | Services | Comments | Search Links to external sites do not constitute endorsements by King County. By visiting this and other King County web pages, you expressly agree to be bound by terms and conditions of the site. The details.