You are possibly right about him approaching the officer. I thought the cop said 'he kept coming' but now listening to the video, I'm not too sure that is what he's saying. But he did feel threatened and the jury 9who unlike us had access to all the evidence) thought the evidence inconclusive.
That close; a sudden turn might look like the start of an attack. As I said before; maybe the officer did shoot when he shouldn't have. I But we don't have the proof he did. Aren't people innocent till proven guilty? Though the web is awash with people calling this murder based on a video that shows nothing of the confrontation.
qjs


from wikipedia:
>In August, 2010 homeless First Nations woodcarver John T. Williams was shot and killed by SPD officer Ian Birk. Birk testified that he saw Williams stabbing at a piece of wood with knife as he walked down the street. After stopping and getting out of his patrol car Birk repeatedly told Williams to drop his knife. Williams was, in turn, shot when as turned toward the police officer. Birk would testify that Williams' knife was open and he appeared intent on attacking him. Subsequent grandjury findings on the level of threat posed by Williams were inconclusive but an internal review of the shooting by the SPD's Firearms Review Commission found the shooting "unjustified" and cited Birk's tactical mishandling of the confrontation as being responsible for Williams' death.[6] In the aftermath of the shooting Williams' lengthy criminal record and threats against police officer's lives were published.[7] Birk also resigned from the Department, though prosecutor Dan Satterberg declined to file charges prompting a protest by Williams' family and supporters.