Man killed by officer in Everett is ID'd

The Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office has identified the man killed by an Everett Police officer on Wednesday night during a traffic stop.

Niles L. Meservey, 51, died from multiple gunshot wounds, the medical examiner said.

The shooting occurred after officers responded to multiple reports of a drunken driver leaving the Chuckwagon Inn restaurant. Police allegedly confronted Meservey as he was trying to leave in a Corvette.

At some point, according to police, an officer attempted to use a Taser on the driver and the car hit a chain-link fence, reportedly knocking down a woman. Shots were fired and Meservey was struck.

Everett police say a 41-year-old officer, an 11-year veteran of the department, was placed on paid administrative leave after the incident. The shooting is being investigated by the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office.

A search of public records shows Meservey apparently had no history of criminal or traffic violations. Family members could not immediately be reached.

On Friday, Everett police declined to release the name of the officer. A spokeswoman for the multiagency law-enforcement team investigating the shooting also did not release additional details on Friday.

One witness who spoke on Thursday questioned whether an officer may have overreacted. She and other patrons of the Everett restaurant called 911 after pleading with Meservey, who was intoxicated, not to drive.