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Live coverage: Inquest into fatal shooting

A coroner’s jury will determine if a Billings police officer was justified when he fatally shot a burglary suspect who was driving off in his patrol car in January

3rd & 7 37yd

Daniel Brawley is seen bound in flex cuffs shortly before wrestling one hand from the restraints and stealing a police car in January.

by Billings Gazette 11/5/2013 3:41:18 PM

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The Yellowstone County Attorney’s Office will hold the coroner’s inquest into the Jan. 6 shooting death of Daniel August Brawley, 29, by Officer Dave Punt. The proceeding starts at 9 a.m. at the Yellowstone County Detention Facility. A coroner’s inquest is required by state law anytime law enforcement is involved in a death.

by Billings Gazette 11/5/2013 3:41:43 PM

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I'll be tweeting from the Daniel Brawley coroner's inquest all day. Here's some background billingsgazette.com/news/local/cri…

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 3:59:56 PM
I watched the whole incident happen in Jan. so I'm very interested to see if this wraps it all up.

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:01:27 PM
7-person jury will decide if BPD Officer Dave Punt's actions were justified when he fatally shot Brawley

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:02:11 PM
Big Horn County Coroner Terry Bullis presiding, County Attorney Scott Twito and Deputy CA Ed Zink will conduct

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:02:59 PM
They're expected to call about 15 witnesses by the end

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:03:25 PM
Officer Punt not expected to testify until tomorrow

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:05:01 PM
And we've started. Bullis going over the rules/purpose of the inquest

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:06:34 PM
Zink: Unfortunately, from time to time it is our sad duty to conduct coroner's inquests such as this

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:09:52 PM
Zink telling jury they're going to learn about a side of Billings they don't normally see

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:10:45 PM
Zink "It’s a side of Billings where people live life by their own rules"

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:11:53 PM
Zink said a woman went to her BFs home to check on the place, found Brawley in a recliner, called police

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:13:58 PM
Responding officers cleared top floor, went downstairs and spotted open gun case, shells on floor. Worried about ambush, backed off

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:15:57 PM
SWAT called, no response from Brawley for 90 min.

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:18:13 PM
Eventually get him to come out, transferred into Punts car - Zink

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:21:20 PM
Zink - Punt tried to close cage partition in patrol car, doesn't secure at first

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:22:57 PM
Zink: Brawley managed to climb between partition into front seat, hit gas. Punt ran up, was struck and thrown by his own patrol car

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:25:08 PM
Zink: Punt realized his rifle, shotgun were in front seat, pulled out pistol, fired 9x. 1 shot struck Brawley

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:26:29 PM
First witness, Brooke Waldron, the woman found Brawley inside her BFs home

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:27:17 PM
Said she was taking care of house while BF out of town for work. Came on Jan 6 to check up on the house, found a man passed out inside

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:29:28 PM
Waldron: First I was confused and then terrified

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:29:58 PM
Twito showing first photos. First of the house at 807 Miles where the incident started.

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:31:23 PM
Now pic inside the house afterwards. Waldron pointing out items prepped to be taken out of the home. Said shouldn't be that way

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:33:37 PM
Waldron said she woke the man up, asked what he was doing there. "He seemed very startled."

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:34:27 PM
Waldron went outside, called 911 and then went back into home to get answers. Man was gone from chair.

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:36:23 PM
Said she saw much of home ransacked, window on back door smashed in.

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:38:31 PM
Waldron told dispatch about hunting weapons downstairs, dispatch advised her to leave the house.

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:39:03 PM
Waldron said she went outside, waited for BPD to arrive. Went home when SWAT told her to do so.

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:43:35 PM
Now up, BPD Officer Seth Foster

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:43:54 PM
Foster was one of the first officers to respond to the house, called for a burglary in progress

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:46:39 PM
Foster said officers went in, "Right away you could tell it had been burglarized"

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:50:40 PM
Foster volunteered to lead the group downstairs b/c he had a shotgun

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:51:36 PM
Foster said he turned corner, saw ammo, open gun case on the floor. Worried about an ambush so he ordered everybody to back up

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:53:33 PM
Foster described narrow stairway as "fatal funnel." "If somebody’s at the bottom and they start shooting, you don’t have anywhere to go"

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:56:31 PM
Foster: Officers backed up out of stairway, sgt called for a K9 unit, but decided it wasn't even safe for a dog

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:57:54 PM
Foster: After about 30 mins, sgt. made decision to call in SWAT, negotiators

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 4:59:55 PM
Foster said he went outside to keep street/area clear. Said "a pretty good crowd" of neighbors, media, others began to gather

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 5:04:51 PM
Foster: Another officer popped off a side vent on the house, saw a man in there.

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 5:05:56 PM
Foster: SWAT began trying to negotiate, eventually asked for an officer to help get people out of home

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 5:07:00 PM
Foster said SWAT handed off to him a person in cuffs and wearing camo head to toe. Turned out to be Heather Brawley.

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 5:07:59 PM
For anybody just joining, I'm covering the coroner's inquest into the officer-involved shooting death of Daniel Brawley

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 5:09:16 PM
Foster: heard engine rev up. "I heard somebody shout, ‘He’s got a car.’"

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 5:11:05 PM
Foster: Said he saw the car start moving and Officer Punt fly across the street. Wasn't sure what just happened, then heard gunfire

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 5:12:37 PM
Foster: Shortly after, a commander told him to get Heather Brawley out of there. Took her to the jail on suspicion of burglary

by Zach Benoit via twitter 11/5/2013 5:16:32 PM