The practice of holding an inquest used to be common, but it’s rare in the U.S. these days. And in several states, juries are still called to consider the facts when someone dies at the hands of the police. The inquest format is controversial — some say it promotes transparency and even healing. Others call it a farce.

KUOW’s Amy Radil (@AmyRadil) reports. Copyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.