Police Deadly Force Bill Has Number, Community Policing Bill Also Introduced

Police Deadly Force Bill Has Number, Community Policing Bill Also Introduced

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Two bills were introduced to the Washington State Legislature on Wednesday. One would amend Washington State law governing the use of deadly force by law enforcement, and the other would establish a joint legislative task force on community policing standards.

Above: Artwork made of welded metal and found objects by John Vanek entitled Justice For All was gifted to the City of Olympia and is installed at the Lee Creighton Justice Center, the site of Olympia's former city hall. 

By Janine Gates

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Proposed legislation to amend Washington State law governing the use of deadly force by law enforcement was introduced Wednesday morning to the Washington State Legislature as HB 2907.

The bill is prime sponsored by Representative Luis Moscoso (D-1), and co-sponsored by five others, including Olympia area Representatives Sam Hunt and Chris Reykdal (D-22).

The bill has been referred to the House Public Safety Committee for a hearing and can be read here:  http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2015-16/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/2907.pdf

Community Policing Standards Legislation Introduced

Another bill on Wednesday was introduced, HB 2908, that establishes a 13 member joint legislative task force on community policing standards. Representative Cindy Ryu (pronounced Ree-oo), (D- 32), is the prime sponsor.

The bill has been referred to the House Public Safety Committee and can be read here: http://app.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=2908&year=2015.

In part, HB 2908 reads, “The legislature acknowledges that officers are often placed in harm’s way and must make decisions quickly while under extreme stress. Although regrettable in every case, the use of deadly force may sometimes be necessary to protect the safety of others. The legislature also recognizes that both the people of this state and law enforcement officers themselves rely on and expect accountability, the failure of which damages the public trust in those who serve the public honorably and with compassion.

“The legislature finds that the law of deadly force in Washington provides absolute protection for law enforcement in virtually all instances, above and beyond that which is reasonable and justifiable....It is the intent of the legislature to improve our deadly force law….”

The bill proposes to create the joint legislative task force to review known data regarding the use of deadly force by officers, review proposals and modifications to RCW 9A.16.040, evaluate the availability of body cameras and similar tools, review current police training curriculum and practices, evaluate public confidence in community policing practices and use of force policies in Washington and produce a preliminary report on its findings to Governor Jay Inslee by December 1, 2016.

Karen Johnson, chair of the Black Alliance of Thurston County, was pleased today about the introduction of the two bills.

“The Black Alliance of Thurston County sees supporting both bills as an opportunity because, as we know, changing the use of deadly force law is the strong foundation upon which all of the other systemic changes (data collection when civilians die at the hand of police officers, body cameras, implict/explicit bias, de-escalation training and the like) is built,” said Johnson.

“Let us build a strong foundation. We believe the more strategic, intentional, and collaborative we can be, the better. Please endorse HB 2907 and HB 2908. As Dr. King said, “the time is always ripe to do right,” she said.

According to a press release by the Black Alliance, thirty two local, regional, and statewide organizations to date have endorsed HB 2907: 

A. Philip Randolph Institute, Seattle Chapter, Art Forces, Behavioral Health and Wellness, the Black Student Union of The Evergreen State College (Tacoma Campus), Center for Justice, Church Council of Greater Seattle, Faith Action Network, Families United Against Hate, Interfaith Works, John T. Williams Organizing Coalition, Justice Not Jails, Latino Civic Alliance, League of Women Voters - Thurston County, Mothers for Police Accountability, Olympia Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League, Olympia Coalition to Reform Deadly Force, Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane, Point Defiance Aids Projects/North American Syringe Exchange Network, Risen Faith Fellowship, Seattle Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Self Advocates in Leadership, Spokane NAACP, Standing Up to Racism, Tacoma-Pierce County Black Collective, The Arc of Washington State, The Justice Coalition of the Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation, The United Churches of Olympia, Washington State Commission on African American Affairs, Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs, Washington State Independent Living Council, Washington State National Organization for Women, and the YWCA Olympia.

Editor's Note, January 28: HB 2907 was going to the Judiciary Committee as originally stated in this article. It was then referred to the House Public Safety Committee. For up to date information and to track all bills, go to www.leg.wa.gov

For more information about the journey to this proposed legislation, the Black Alliance of Thurston County, the City of Olympia’s Ad Hoc Committee on Police and Community Relations, body cameras, and other police related issues in Olympia, go to Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com, and type key words into the search engine.

For more information about the Black Alliance of Thurston County, contact Dr. Karen Johnson at blackalliancethurstoncounty@gmail.com.

Olympia Youth Speak Up at Ad Hoc Police Forum

Olympia Youth Speak Up at Ad Hoc Police Forum

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Above: Sign at Olympia High School, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

By Janine Gates

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

The Ad Hoc Committee on Police and Community Relations held its fourth community forum at Olympia High School on Thursday afternoon.

The forum focused primarily on the experiences and ideas of youth and was open to all community members to also share their thoughts about how the Olympia police department can best serve the public.

Several students and staff of Olympia High School were in attendance, including principal Matt Grant. Several uniformed police officers were also in attendance, which prompted one adult to say that their armed presence was difficult for him. 

Several students shared stories of their interactions with local police. 

One young man, who is African American, said he was with a group of friends and one of them had a BB gun. Someone called it into police, and one officer arrived, who ordered them to the ground. They complied. One responding officer soon turned into three others because a neighbor started arguing with the officer.

“I was scared. I didn’t want to become a statistic,” he said. Asked to elaborate on his feelings about the incident, he said, “Well, the officer didn’t pull his gun out and I didn’t get shot, so the situation turned out A+….”

Another African American student said he felt the Olympia police are better than most.

“They’ve shown me respect,” he said. He said he came from Tennessee, and said that “things are really bad down there….”Asked what he would like to see by the Olympia Police Department, he said more forums and more dialog.

Maddie Hendrickson, 18, shared that she was in a car accident about a year ago in which a school bus rear-ended her car. She was uninjured, but said she didn’t feel like she was being heard by the officer, and he seemed rushed. 

“It was a stressful situation and the police could be calmer,” said Hendrickson. She offered many suggestions for how the police could approach teens with more compassion.

A mother described how her son has been victimized at Washington Middle School and Olympia High School due to his African American race.

“There hasn’t been a single year that he hasn’t had a racial incident here in Olympia,” said Karen Arnold. The Arnold’s have lived in Olympia for 15 years and came from Tacoma. In the most recent incident last year at Olympia High School, he was jumped on by another student on the basketball court and called the “n” word. She says the student was given a half day suspension.

“….That is not enough,” said Karen Arnold. “….It gives the message that the behavior is ok….”

Her son, Kardel Arnold, 15, was present and freely shared his stories and thoughts. Arnold said that when he was in the sixth and seventh grade, he was harassed all the time. He described a situation in which he was sitting on the bus and was punched by another student. There was no disciplinary action to the bully.

“I could be wrong, but I’m 99 percent sure that if it had been me who had done the punching, I would have been suspended or expelled,” he said. His mother called the police to see about what could be done, but they said nothing could be done because the other student did not threaten Arnold. Conversely, the school said that they couldn’t do anything because as soon as the police are called, it becomes a police issue, and not a school issue.

In general, Kardel Arnold says he has nothing against police officers, but he makes sure he doesn’t move too quickly or make any wrong moves when he sees police around.

Hired last spring, Olympia High School paraeducator Antonio McClinon, who is African American, said that he would like to see more people of color on the police force. He also said that there are only three African American males who work at the school.

McClinon said he spoke with the school district superintendent a couple of years ago about diversity and what he thought would be a ten minute conversation turned into an hour. He was pleased about that, but in terms of recruiting for teaching positions, the process is difficult, plus, African American teachers who live in the South Sound area tend to take jobs in Tacoma or Seattle, an environment where they feel more comfortable.

“….I could easily get a job there, but I want to be here…. I’m a role model here. It starts with one or two….I am not afraid, I am concerned….There's so much politics and roadblocks….” he said. The African American students surrounding McClinon agreed that he was someone that they felt they could go to if they needed to.

Mr. Grant said that race is frequently an issue at Olympia High School and acknowledged that it is a challenge for students of color to come to the school.

“If I could have a request, it would be that we be constantly in training, for the police and administrators, on how to interact with students of color, learn the issues there, and strategies for creating dialog. I think we learn a lot from each other and I can’t say enough about how much we want to engage in dialog, and we can do a lot more. We have a core group of students willing to engage in dialog but setting those things up are really difficult….”

He said that in his experience, the school has had several positive experiences with the police. Grant said they used to have lunchtime sessions with students of color, but not this year.

“We can always do more,” he said.

The Olympia City Council tasked a group of citizens last year with engaging the community on how the Olympia police can better serve the public, especially people who do not often have the chance to be heard. The group has held several forums. For more information about the group and future meeting dates, go to www.olympiawa.gov.

Editor’s Note: All individuals in this article consented to being identified. 

Little Hollywood has written many articles about the Ad Hoc group, police issues, racial justice, the Olympia Police Department, and excessive use of force by law enforcement at Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com. Use the search engine to type in key words.

Above: “Throw kindness around like Confetti”sign at Olympia High School.

Police-Community Ad Hoc Committee Forum Focuses On Social Service Providers

Police-Community Ad Hoc Committee Forum Focuses On Social Service Providers

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By Janine Gates

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

The Ad Hoc Committee for Police and Community Relations held another community forum Monday night to gather information, this time at First Christian Church in downtown Olympia, to hear from area social service providers.

The committee is tasked by the Olympia City Council to receive information from the community about methods for engaging under-represented and minority groups on police practices, and seek input on a preferred process for engaging the public on implementing police-worn body cameras.

About 20 community members and social service provider representatives and volunteers participated, including Interfaith Works, the YWCA, the Crisis Clinic, Community Youth Services (CYS), United Churches of Olympia, PFLAG, Sidewalk, the Salvation Army, Capital Recovery Center, and others. They discussed and provided examples of ways there are levels of collaboration, not competition, that currently exists among organizations.

All members of the Ad Hoc committee were present, as well as three longtime members of the Olympia Police Department.

The evening’s conversation, as at previous forums, asked two questions: What has been your experience with the Olympia Police Department, and how can the Olympia Police Department better serve you? The conversation was followed by small group discussions.

No one shared any stories of direct difficulties with police, and several shared their organization's positive interactions. Others expressed questions and concerns about the May officer-involved shooting of two young African American men in Olympia.

Watching the videos of police activity and shootings in other cities nationwide, Pavel Mikoloski, who lives in unincorporated Thurston County, said he kept thinking, “Thank God we don’t have that…that doesn’t happen in Olympia…we have great police....” Then he described his thoughts when he saw the video of the officer-involved shooting of a man in Pasco. It really upset him, but then he dismissed it.

“….I thought, that’s Eastern Washington, that’s like a different state, that’s a whole different climate over there….And then when this shooting in Olympia happened…it hit too close to home. I thought, ‘Is this systemic? What is going on?’ I know policing is a very difficult job, don’t get me wrong, but I’m really worried. What’s going on? I need some answers….”

Later, in a conversation on how to improve the condition of downtown, he said Olympia needs to attract a major high tech company.

“There’s room downtown for a major tech revival. If that were to happen, then a lot of these social services would be better funded and we could find a better way to help the homeless situation,” he said.

Jessie of the downtown YWCA said she was new to Olympia and has heard many stories from YWCA clients that she would like the police to hear. She says the level of compassion, empathy, and understanding depends upon the officer. She suggested that the police “ride along” with social service providers in much the same way police encourage community members to ride along with them to see what their work day or night is like.

Scott Hanouser, chief executive officer of Community Youth Services, says the agency has over 20 programs that interact with each other, and provide services to about 4,000 youth per year between the ages of 14 to 24. He said that the agency has a positive relationship with the police department.

A resident of the Fleetwood Apartments near Sylvester Park said that when fights break out in the building or when someone is off their medication, the police are polite. 

“I know if I show them respect, I'll get respect...but respect looks different to different people,” she said.

Danny Kadden, executive director of Interfaith Works, which operates the Emergency Overnight Shelter located at First Christian Church, downstairs from the forum’s meeting place, described his organization’s perspectives.

“…On behalf of staff, we are pleased with our interaction with police and have many success stories, however, for every success story, there is a story that we hear about….While I'll add to the praise (such as) the level of responsiveness and the ability to have honest and frank conversations with officers when need be, there are some cases that are troubling…situations that require officers working with severely mentally ill people….I want to work with the department to enhance our capabilities, to enhance training, and preparation for dealing with this populace.”

Kadden described a group of about 30 street folks who met in this same room a few weeks ago to discuss their experiences with police.

“…What they have to say is so important. They have a history of harassment and bad encounters with police. There is so much to talk out. I wish we could replicate that - so much of it interfaces with race…class…trauma….Let’s find a way to talk about the culture of our community, and how different cultures have a hard time communicating, sharing, understanding each other, and I’m also talking about the policing culture….I think we have an opportunity here to grow and mature as a community…to prepare our professionals and those receiving services, who can have some trust that their experiences are valued,” said Kadden. He added that Interfaith Works and the faith community are committed and ready to assist in these efforts.

Committee member Alejandro Rugarcia reported that committee members are meeting with groups or individuals who may not feel comfortable meeting in formal settings. 

Since the forum focusing on Hispanic experiences with police at CEILO in early November, committee members have met with 17 Hispanic individuals who were afraid to speak at or attend the forum, said Rugarcia. He urged those in attendance to reach out to others that the group should hear from but may not feel comfortable attending a forum. He assured the group that the work of the committee will result in positive outcomes.

The committee’s next two, and final, community forums will focus on youth and body cameras, respectively.

To learn more about the Ad Hoc Committee on Police and Community Relations, go to www.olympiawa.gov. Future community forums are scheduled for January 18 and February 11, topics, times, and locations to be determined.

Upcoming: The Black Alliance of Thurston County and the Olympia Police Department will cosponsor a community conversation about race, racial bias, and institutional racism on Thursday, December 10, from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at South Sound Manor, 455 North Street, Tumwater. According to the release, the goal is to build trust between communities and to promote fair and impartial policing in Olympia.

To read past stories about the Olympia Police Department, the Ad Hoc Committee on Policing and Community Relations, the May 21 shooting of Andre Thompson and Bryson Chaplin in west Olympia, the Black Alliance of Thurston County, body cameras, and community conversations around race and implicit bias, go to Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.comand type keywords into the search button.

Above: The Ad Hoc Committee on Police and Community Relations held a forum focusing on the police experiences of the Hispanic community on November 5 at CEILO, Centro Integral Educativo Latino de Olympia, (Integral Hispanic Educational Center of Olympia), a local non-profit organization that promotes community, self-sufficiency and leadership of Latinas/os. The Committee also held a forum on October 10, reaching out to the African American community.

Olympia Police Clear Officer Donald in Shooting Case

Olympia Police Clear Officer Donald in Shooting Case

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By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Many individuals and community groups are working harder than ever on issues and conversations about race, racism and police issues ever since the Olympia police officer involved shooting of two young African American men on May 21.

Those conversations are expected to intensify.

An Olympia Police Department (OPD) shooting review board issued its conclusion on Wednesday afternoon that no policies had been violated by Officer Ryan Donald during the incident. Olympia Police Chief Ronnie Roberts reviewed the Board’s decision and concurred.

The board determined that Officer Donald’s actions were within policy and that they did not precipitate the use of force. The decision was unanimous. According to the release, Officer Donald will return to duty in the next few weeks.

“Because of the trauma of the event and the length of his absence, the Department has a plan to reintegrate Officer Donald before assigning his routine duties,” it states.

The review board was comprised of OPD Deputy Chief Steve Nelson, OPD Lieutenant Aaron Jelcick, Deputy City Attorney Darren Nienaber, OPD Officer Jason Winner and Executive Director for the Commission of African American Affairs Edward Prince.

In a brief memorandum from Lt. Aaron Jelcick to Chief Roberts, Jelcick says that between September 21 and 29, the group reviewed more than 600 pages of investigative reports. 

On September 29, the group visited the site of the shooting near Cooper Point Road on Olympia’s westside and interviewed Officer Donald.

Chief Roberts stated, “Although the review process is complete, our conversations about this incident - our conversations about our police department and our community - are very important to us and will be on-going for some time to come.  As an agency, we pride ourselves on being open, honest and transparent in what we do and how we do it.  We hope that we’ve proved that to you again during this difficult time.

“Amongst many different venues, you can find us talking with you in your neighborhoods, schools, faith groups, business groups, civic organizations and government assemblies.  Please join us in these important conversations so that we can be the type of agency that you would like to see serving our community.”

For a copy of the official memorandum from the shooting review board follow this link and more detailed information about the Shooting Review Board, go to: http://olympiawa.gov/city-services/police-department/news-and-notifications/officer-involved-shooting.aspx

Ad Hoc Committee on Policing and Community Relations

The next meeting of the city’s Ad-Hoc Committee on Policing and Community Relations is Monday, October 5, 5:30 p.m. at Olympia City Hall, in the council chambers.

The committee will host a public community forum on Saturday, October 10, 1:00-5:00 p.m., at Risen Faith Fellowship, 2129 E 4th St, Olympia.

For more information about the Olympia Police Department, the officer involved shooting on May 21, the Ad-Hoc Committee on Policing and Community Relations and other police related news, go to Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.comor the City of Olympia website at www.olympiawa.gov.

Olympia Police Shooting of Two Men: No Charges for Officer; Men Charged with Assault

Olympia Police Shooting of Two Men: No Charges for Officer; Men Charged with Assault

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Above: Olympia Police Chief Ronnie Roberts provides a brief statement at Olympia City Hall today following Thurston County Prosecutor Jon Tunheim's findings about the police officer involved shooting of two men on May 21.

Ad Hoc Committee Set To Next Meet on September 9

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Today, Thurston County Prosecutor Jon Tunheim released his findings about the Olympia police officer involved shooting of two African American men that occurred May 21st.

His decision and a statement today from Olympia Police Chief Ronnie Roberts are both on the City of Olympia website at www.olympiawa.gov.  

Tunheim’s review of the case in which Olympia police office Ryan Donald shot Bryson Chaplin and Andre Thompson is available at www.co.thurston.wa.us/pao/

Tunheim concluded that the officer’s actions were justified and he did not act in bad faith or with malice. 

“While I have spent many hours examining and analyzing this evidence, Officer Donald had only seconds prior to each shooting event to make the decision to use deadly force. In fact, the radio traffic demonstrates conclusively that only a matter of seconds passed between Donald's first call about spotting the suspects and the first shots fired call. The remaining events unfolded in just under three minutes....”

The two men have been charged with assault.

“There is sufficient admissible evidence to believe that a reasonable fact finder could find beyond a reasonable doubt that Chaplin and Thompson committed the crime of Assault in Second Degree on Officer Donald and of Assault in the 4^th degree on the Safeway employee,” says the report's review. 

Charges have been filed and summons’ issued. Arraignment is set for Tuesday, September 22.

Olympia Police Chief Ronnie Roberts held a press conference at Olympia City Hall two hours after the release of Tunheim's report. In his comments, which lasted about five minutes, Roberts said that the Olympia Police Department will now begin an internal review of the incident to determine whether the actions of Officer Donald violated any department policies and procedures.

The shooting review team will be comprised of Deputy Chief Steve Nelson, Lieutenant Aaron Jelcick, Deputy City Attorney Darren Nienaber, Edward Prince, Executive Director for the Commission on African American Affairs, and a designated police guild representative.

“The review team will convene as soon as can be scheduled with a goal of completing their work within two weeks. We will immediately release the results of this review once it is concluded,” said Roberts.

Karen Johnson of The Black Alliance of Thurston County handed out a statement at the press conference. It states, in part:

“This is indeed a sad day for those of us who believe in justice for all....Thurston County Prosecutor Jon Tunheim’s decision announced today is lawful, yet unjust. It reflects the warped and unfair system design that we have mobilized to change. We are disappointed by the prosecutor’s decision, yet we are not surprised by it.

“The upcoming internal review process led by the Olympia Police Department basically requires law enforcement officers to sit in judgment of each other. This does not provide the public with true police accountability. It is time to change the relevant laws, rules, and civil service procedures governing police conduct. It is time for independent oversight and review of police conduct in cases where excessive use of force may have occurred.”

According to the release, The Black Alliance of Thurston County is committed to building trust and promoting fair and impartial policing in Thurston County.

Chief Roberts referred to the group as one that he has been meeting with over the last few weeks.

“We have had difficult, honest and productive conversation about institutional bias in the criminal justice system, educational systems and other governmental services. These conversations have generated several actionable steps that can be taken to demonstrate OPD’s commitment to bias free policing….” said Roberts.

For more information on The Black Alliance of Thurston County, email BlackAllianceThurstonCounty@gmail.com.

Full Circle United, a community group involved in providing financial assistance to the two men shot and their families, invites the community to speak out about the prosecutor's decision. The group will meet at the corner of State Street and Cherry St in downtown Olympia at 6:00 p.m. Thursday evening. 

“This event is solely for amplifying the voices of black people in this community. We are asking that individuals who identify as black or African-American and feel comfortable addressing crowds please come prepared to speak up.

“Others are invited and encouraged to come participate, and must understand that their role in supporting us is to LISTEN,” says the notice.

Ad Hoc Committee on Police and Community Relations

The next meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee on Police and Community Relations will be September 9, 5:00 p.m., with the location still to be announced.

The city is off to a poor start in terms of transparency and bringing the public along in the process of this group.

As of this writing, the city website page for the Ad Hoc Committee still lists the August 26 meeting, its first meeting, and does not yet mention the September 9 meeting, nor is it listed on the city calendar. It is listed on the city’s meeting schedule at https://olympia.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

The meeting date was mentioned by Mayor Stephen Buxbaum in his council report at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

The group’s second meeting was actually scheduled for September 2, but postponed. The upcoming meeting is a work session for the committee to decide on a future schedule and community outreach techniques. 

Yesterday, Little Hollywood requested the city email addresses for the committee members, which are not yet listed on the city website. On August 18, Mayor Buxbaum said that individual committee members would have city email addresses.

Today, Kandace Johnson, secretary for the Olympia Police Department, and staff to the committee wrote: 

“….I have had other requests regarding the committee member emails and I am looking into whether I can release that or not and will get back to you.  This is the central inbox for the committee and any information sent here will be distributed to the committee members.”

For now, the email address for public comment and reaching committee members is PCR@ci.olympia.wa.us

For past articles about the Olympia Police Department, the shooting of Bryson Chaplin and Andre Thompson, body cameras, and the Ad Hoc Committee on Police and Community Relations, go to Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com, and type key words into the search engine. 

Olympia Community Speaks to City Council About Police Shooting of Two Men

Olympia Community Speaks to City Council About Police Shooting of Two Men

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Above: Outside Olympia City Hall tonight, many expressed their support for Andre Thompson and Bryson Chaplin and their families.

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

The Thursday night police shooting of two young African American men, Andre Thompson and Bryson Chaplin, has created an unprecedented outpouring of emotions, perspectives and demands that were heard this evening at tonight's council meeting at Olympia City Hall.  

“We need to take this wake up call very seriously and not sleep through it,” Neil Peck said as he concluded his comments in front of Olympia city councilmembers and the community tonight.

Peck lives 100 yards from where he heard the shots fired by Olympia police officer Ryan Donald last Thursday. Peck was the speaker who provided an account of what he heard that night at a community gathering that same evening at Temple Beth Hatfiloh.

Peck was the first of over 30 passionate, articulate speakers tonight who voiced their feelings, perspectives, and concerns to council members. The council dispensed with most of the evening’s agenda to accommodate the speakers, who spoke for about two hours straight. An overflow crowd sat in chairs and on the floor in the lobby, watching and listening to speakers on television monitors.

Several facilitators with the Thurston County Dispute Resolution Center met with individuals and groups as needed to record their thoughts. Regional television news staff and cameras stayed for most of the evening.

Above: Neil Peck speaks to the Olympia City Council tonight. He lives 100 yards from where Office Ryan Donald shot two men, and heard the shots.  

 

“….I don’t want Olympia to be one of those places where young black men get shot…where people just shrug it off….This needs to be a wake up call for Olympia…for our police…for all of us….I know the investigation is just getting started…but I don’t think we need to wait to say that this is simply the wrong outcome….,” said Peck.

Five speakers later, it was local attorney Jim Johnson who made the audience collectively gasp when he announced that, as a neighbor of Peck’s, he too heard the shots, but neither he nor Peck have been interviewed by the police.

“I’m Jim Johnson. I’m a witness. I live on the corner of Langridge and Cooper Point. My wife heard the first four shots. She woke me up. We checked on our kids. She called the police and she was on the phone with the police when the next three shots rang out. She and I debated about whether it was three or four. I was standing next to her when I heard the next four shots. That, those last four shots, I was able to count. You talk about being open and all this stuff, it’s like, nobody’s even said how many shots were fired. And there are witnesses who know how many shots were fired. Mr. Peck heard them. His wife heard them. I heard them. My wife heard them. My name was in the paper. My wife was on King 5. Mr. Peck spoke at the Thursday night gathering. None of us have been interviewed by the police. None of us have been interviewed by the police. That undermines the credibility of the investigation. I know you guys aren’t in charge, I know you’re not in charge, but somebody hearing this better straighten that out, because if this investigation is going to have any credibility, it has to have credibility in the people, and if there are witnesses around – I live – I had to talk to police officers to leave my house three times that day because they were blocking the road and nobody asked me my name, nobody asked me whether I had heard or seen anything, they’re not asking the witnesses anything….”

Regarding the purchase and use of body cameras, Johnson said he has advised a state agency on the legalities of recordings in public contexts.

“….I know the complexities of the area. This is not hard. This is not expensive. You just need to do it. I looked on Amazon. You can get a body camera for $46.18…and it will be here Thursday….(cheers were heard from the lobby at this point)…You need to buy body cameras, you need to require their use, you need to have discipline in place so that if officers don’t turn them on when they should, they’ll get in trouble….”

Regarding the potential lawsuits that may arise from the shootings, Johnson said, “….This is going to cost the City of Olympia an amazing amount of money. Body cameras are cheap.”

Mayor Stephen Buxbaum said that there will be many more opportunities for the community to express its thoughts about the topics discussed this evening.

Councilmember Nathaniel Jones agreed.

“We don't need to wait to begin the healing. Tonight's comments are part of that...I think we'll be mending for some time....”

One local non-profit, Media Island, will be hosting a meeting on Monday, June 1, 7:00 p.m., at 816 Adams Street SE, Olympia to discuss the formation of a police accountability civilian review board. For more information, call (360) 352-8526 or email mediaisland@gmail.com.

Above: Local attorney Jim Johnson provides his account to Olympia city council members of what he heard Thursday night during the police shooting of two men. He said he has not yet been interviewed by police.

 

Little Hollywood will continue to provide more information about this evening as time allows.

For more information about the Olympia Police Department and this case, including an account of the community meeting at Temple Beth Hatfiloh, go to past articles on Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com, and use the search button to type in key words.

Olympia City Council meetings are televised by Thurston Community Television. Go to the City of Olympia website for more information at www.olympiawa.gov.