Officer Involved Shooting Documents Released; Ad Hoc Committee on Police and Community Relations Meets

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

The Thurston County Prosecutor's Office released today a large portion of the documents related to the investigation into the Olympia police officer involved shooting on May 21st of two African-American men in Olympia.  

That information can be viewed at www.co.thurston.wa.us/pao/critical-incident-report.htm and includes transcriptions of witness statements and Olympia police officer Ryan Donald, who shot Andre Thompson and Bryson Chaplin.

A statement today on the Olympia Police Department website says:

In our promise to be transparent with our community we are relaying this information and link. The Prosecutor has told us that this is the majority of the information, although a few pieces of the investigation are still under review. Please note that this is not the Prosecutor’s decision or resolution on this case. The Prosecutor’s Office will publicly announce when his office has completed the review and made a decision.

The Olympia Police Department, like our community, is reading and digesting the investigative reports that were just released. We are all patiently waiting for this process to be completed. We appreciate the thoughtful and detailed work that the independent investigative team and the Prosecutor’s Office is conducting with this important matter for our community.

If you have questions about this material, please contact the Thurston County Prosecutor Office at 360.786.5540.

Jim Johnson, a resident in the Olympia area near Cooper Point Road and Langridge where the shooting of Andre Thompson and Bryson Chaplin took place on May 21, heard the shots that evening. He was present at tonight’s first meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee on Police and Community Relations.

Johnson was one of many community members who spoke out at a May 26 Olympia City Council meeting devoted to the shooting.  

His testimony to the council was transcribed by this reporter in a May 26 article at Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com/2015/05/olympia-community-speaks-to-city.html. In that testimony, five days after the shooting, he revealed that neither he or his wife or neighbors had yet been interviewed by the police.

Speaking with Johnson after tonight’s Ad Hoc Committee meeting, Johnson said he was aware his witness report was part of what was released by the Prosecutor’s Office this afternoon, but has not had a chance to read it yet.  He said that the day after he gave his testimony to the city council, the police came to his house and he was formally interviewed.

Asked what he thought of tonight’s meeting of the committee, he showed this reporter his public comment sheet. It said, “This is appalling – two hours and you did not even schedule the next meeting (the purpose of which is to schedule the first opportunity for the public to comment).”

Above: Ad Hoc Committee on Community and Police Relations Member Curt Pavola introduces himself to the audience. In his day job, he works for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, and served on the Olympia City Council from 2001-2005.  He said he came to Olympia when he about 25 years old as a gay man, at a time when there were no laws for the protection against discrimination in housing and employment. He felt welcomed here and worked with others for the passage of those laws, but also recognizes that the spirit of a law is not necessarily implemented. He said that the city’s comprehensive plan, particularly the chapter on policing, is a good platform for implementing and expressing our community values.

Ad Hoc Committee on Police and Community Relations

The first meeting of a city organized committee of five citizens was held tonight at Garfield Elementary School in the multi-purpose room. The group is composed of Reiko Callner, Kerensa Mabwa, Curt Pavola, Clinton Petty, Alejandro Rugarcia, and ex-officio member Lt. Aaron Jelcick of the Olympia Police Department.

Hearing the speakers was difficult at times for many audience members. A loud fan went on intermittently throughout the meeting, and some members of the group had their backs to the audience. About 40 people were in attendance at the beginning of the meeting. The meeting was audiotaped by the City of Olympia.

The group was tasked by the Olympia City Council with receiving information from the community about methods for engaging underrepresented and minority groups on policing practices and to seek input on a process for engaging the public on implementing police-worn body cameras.

The two hour meeting this evening focused on introductions, a review of the open public meetings act and public records act, a review of the committee charter, and discussion about future meeting dates and locations.

It was very late into the meeting that the Ad Hoc Committee co-chair Reiko Callner acknowledged the elephant in the room: the shooting of Andre Thompson and Bryson Chaplin by an Olympia police officer.

“We’re the only group asking these (police-related) questions right now…we need to listen to all of it even if it’s not on task with our charter,” said committee member co-chair Curt Pavola.

The group anticipates meeting again in about a week and a half but did not set a date, time or location. Pavola said he hoped the group could meet in different locations around the community and get different people to drop in from area neighborhoods.

Callner acknowledged at the end of the meeting that the acoustics of the room were difficult, and microphones were needed for future meetings. She said that city hall can accommodate those needs as well as televising meetings through Thurston Community Television.

It was also suggested that the public should be asked their thoughts about locations and future forum topics.

Community Members Take The Lead

A group called Unity in the Community was organized in response to the shooting and will have a meeting on September 10, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the Olympia Center, Room A. The purpose of the meeting is to provide the community an opportunity to react to and discuss the outcome of the Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office findings, anticipated in early September. 

“If this had happened to a couple of blonde, blue eyed kids, this (the shooting) probably wouldn’t have happened, so that started (the group), but it’s also an opportunity to have a series of conversations about institutional racism and oppression,” said Kathy Baros Friedt, a member of Unity in the Community.

“....It’s past time,” she continued. “There are so many things right about having this conversation about race that didn’t exist before….and the faith community is socially engaged and more inclusive than ever before.” 

For more information about the Olympia Police Department, the Ad Hoc Committee on Police and Community Relations, and community conversations about the shooting in Olympia on May 21, go to Little Hollywood at www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com and type key words into the search engine.

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

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.

Olympia Community Comes Together After Police Shooting of Two Men

Above: Olympia Police Chief Ronnie Roberts gives an overview of the day's events regarding the shooting of two African American men at a forum tonight at Temple Beth Hatfiloh in downtown Olympia.

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Hundreds attended a public forum held tonight at Temple Beth Hatfiloh in downtown Olympia in response to the police shooting incident of two young African American men on Olympia’s westside early Thursday morning.

The forum provided an opportunity for community members to share their feelings about the incident and engage in dialogue. About 15 clergy members from various faith communities and City of Olympia officials, including Chief of Police Ronnie Roberts, Mayor Stephen Buxbaum and other councilmembers, and city staff were in attendance.

Over 30 speakers spoke for an hour and a half, voicing feelings of sorrow, fear, hurt, disappointment, anger and many other emotions. Reiko Callner, a local attorney, human rights activist, and member of the City of Olympia’s Civil Service Commission, facilitated the open mic session. Speakers had at least three minutes each to speak.

Rabbi Seth Goldstein welcomed everyone, saying that the purpose for the evening was to come together to hear diverse points of view in unity…with intention…open hearts, open hands, and prayers for peace, justice and healing.”

Speakers were eloquent, passionate, and spoke from the heart. Many called for an independent citizen advisory review board, police dashboard and body cameras, better training of police officers, and transparency and openness in the investigation process.

Below are some people’s thoughts:

“Police don’t get a chance to apologize because it would bring lawsuits like fleas on a dog…I wish we could include that without tearing them down…They’re just human….” said a man.

“I do support law enforcement…hindsight is 20/20, we all don’t know what happened last night…I believe we all need to stand together as a community…it’s sad when lives are lost and people are hurt….God be with us….” said a woman.

A man who heard the incident said, “This shooting incident happened about 100 yards from my house. I was awakened by the first three shots and…the shooting was all over in about 10 seconds. There were three quick, evenly spaced shots, then an interval of perhaps five to 10 seconds, and then four more shots again, evenly spaced. And, in between, I could hear shouting. I couldn’t hear voices or what was being said but there was audible shouting between the shots and after the shots. I certainly don’t know anything about the officer’s state of mind or to what degree he was threatened or felt threatened but I do feel that…there wouldn’t have been any time before that…it was swift and it was over. And, well, what that means to the investigation or anything, I don’t know. That is what happened, that is what I heard.” [Editor's Note, 5-22-2015: This reporter was in the back of the room. The man was questioning the police version of events. The ellipsis means the speaker went on to say more important information that I have not included here. This man's quote as included here is not to be used as fact in a court of law or to be used as evidence.]

A man said, “It was wrong to have those boys get shot, in my opinion…because they stole some beer….There’s a pattern going on in this country where the cops do these kinds of things and they walk away from it…and that bothers me a lot…The racial question cannot be avoided….It’s so clear…I don’t understand…I look at you (Ronnie Roberts) as the chief, what’s going on? People are getting shot, particularly black people and Hispanic people….This cannot be handed over to the police to investigate….”

Another man said, “My primary concern is that the process work for as many people as possible. The ideal process should find out the truth, a sense of fairness for all…and an outcome of compassion, justice, accountability…and a plan for moving forward….I want an investigative body besides Thurston County…I don’t know what that would look like…I am struggling with the issue of process going forward….”

A social worker said he is highly concerned that officers are not being held accountable when in his profession, he is held highly accountable to state standards.

One man admitted that he had shoplifted when he was young.

“…I was never in fear that I was going to be shot…I have one daughter who is perceived to be white, and one who is perceived to be black. I suspect that if they were caught shoplifting, they would be treated differently…I don’t trust the police after what I’ve seen in the last six months….” He lamented that he has not heard our local police say a word about the incidents that have occurred nationwide. '“Where are the police?'” he asked.

One woman said that she has felt sad all day, hearing helicopters over the westside neighborhoods all day.

“I watched the press conference and heard the tone of defensiveness (from the police) that maybe this officer was acting appropriately….That scares me that I live in a community that somebody can throw a can of beer and no one is saying, '“Wow, we made a mistake…a mistake was made…”' She expressed that there are too many police with military training.

“Military training is very different from community policing….What are we going to do to make sure this never happens again?” She said she was grateful that this gathering was happening and that, as a grandmother, she knows her blue eyed, Caucasian grandson is privileged, and her heart grieves for African American mothers who fear for the lives of their children.

One woman asked why a Taser couldn’t have been used instead, and expressed her support for the young men’s mother.

Another woman said, “Everyone is human, and racism is foundational to the creation of our country and continuation of systems of power….As a white person…I look at my own racism…It’s hard to sit through this stuff…As white folks we don’t know our own privilege, and we need to call it out, what’s happening.…(if we don’t) it’s the worst kind of racism….”

Another woman said, “I don’t trust the Sheriff’s Department to lead the investigation…listen to the audio recording….The militarization of police forces across the United States is a disease, and now we have this disease in Olympia….”

A man said, “….I have more questions than answers…a shift has occurred in me. I feel like I’m afraid of the police, and I’m not homeless, I’m not mentally ill, and I’m white. Why am I afraid? I don’t know. There is a disconnect and I don’t know how to fix it….”

One woman asked, “Why pursue in the first place? That started the whole sequence of events…What’s the outcome of this?”

A clergy member asked, “How will we heal? This is a good first step…Healing needs to be an intentional thing amongst the media and our community….”

Another clergy member asked, “….I wonder about a community that has trained its police and empowered people in the community to confront two people under suspicion by themselves without backup….”

A woman said she could pick out someone that she loves seated in every row. “We deserve better than this and we are better than this….”

A man who lives in the Goldcrest neighborhood said he was detoured this morning from his usual route to work and just got off work to attend the forum. “….This is hard to imagine in Olympia that unarmed people could be shot by police…I hope we’ll give benefit of the doubt as to motives until we know differently….I hope we’ll look at every way to learn from this….”

“I’m horrified this happened in Olympia…and it did….I have no faith that Thurston County officers are going to say it wasn’t a justified use of force…I want from the city council a clear and specific recognition that implicit racism is at play here…explain it, describe it, and hold people accountable for it…we are now a community that an officer shot two unarmed black boys….” said a woman.

A woman who identified herself as a member of the Christian community at The Evergreen State College said she is frustrated about the call to not rush to judge the police’s actions.

“What’s so frustrating is that these two black boys were not given the opportunity… to defend themselves….Black men are demonized…. I remember reading about...Officer Darren Wilson saying that Michael Brown was like a demon coming after him, and that’s how black lives are viewed…so I think it’s about more than body cams, although that’s a good start…I think it’s about how people with privilege and power choose to view…marginalized communities….What happened this morning is not an isolated incident….We need to model something different….”

A registered nurse with 20 years’ experience said that the young men deserve our prayers. “…Even if they recover, their spiritual and body wounds will be long….” She said the shooting was irresponsible in light of the national climate and oppression, and did not believe that race had nothing to do with the incident. “I don’t believe that…I’m the mother of a teenage boy who is light-skinned…I fear for his safety but I can’t imagine what it’s like for African American mothers who worry about their children….”

That woman’s son also spoke up, saying there is racial inequality at his school, eloquently closing by saying, “A color should not determine whether you live or you die….”

A woman who said she’s lived in Olympia for four years said, “I love Olympia…but I’m not surprised that something like this has happened in our community because people of color are harassed…We’re neck deep in right now….”

Another woman said, “If I accidently hit somebody with my car, I’m held accountable….Everybody is responsible for what they do….”

A clergy member said, “There’s one truth – love is greater than fear…As we embrace and resist fear that is out there and fight the fear and find the treasure of love, people will look at Olympia and say, 'We do things different here….'”

Another clergy member, Rev. Amy Walters, of First Christian Church, said, “I am troubled and hurt for our city but I’m going to leave here with some hope to continue to take steps forward to have dialog and we’ll work things out together – we are better – and clergy are committed to this process…While my heart is heavy, I’m going to leave with hope.”

For more information about the incident from the City of Olympia, including the 911 audio recording of the incident, go to www.olympiawa.gov

For previous articles about the City of Olympia Police Department on Little Hollywood, go www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com and use the search button to type in key words.

Emergency Shelters for the Homeless Go Year Round

Emergency Shelters for the Homeless Go Year Round

by Janine Unsoeld
www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Advocates for the homeless are a devoted, seemingly tireless, loose connection of social service organizations, faith communities and people concerned about homeless issues.

Recently, many have eloquently spoken up, some for the first time, at Olympia city council meetings in response to ordinances that move homeless campers away from city hall property and criminalize sitting or lying on sidewalks.

Much of their work is behind-the-scenes for most of us, but very much on the front lines for those who need it most.

In a spot of good news in what is a daunting, ongoing issue for the community, these advocates, along with area congregations, have now made it possible for emergency shelters to be open year round. Funding to take this new step came from Thurston County and United Way.

The new shelter coordinator, Laurian Weissner, coordinates locations and their schedules. His part time paid position with Interfaith Works is currently funded for one year.

"Traditionally, the shelters for homeless men and women have operated seasonally during the cold weather months, ending in February for men, and ending in March for women," said Weissner, in an interview today.

Weissner says that in order for the shelters to be operational year round, current participating churches host twice a year. He has the women's shelters tentatively scheduled through the beginning of May and is appealing for two or three more congregations to "step-up" and help host the shelter.

Weissner urged that anyone needing emergency shelter should call (360) 515-5620. He also emphasized that people will not be denied shelter for theological reasons, meaning, they will not be required to participate in any religious ceremonies sponsored by the host church.

The women's shelter provides 18 beds for the homeless women, while the men's shelter provides 12 beds. Unused beds at the women's shelter are also available to families when the Family Shelter is full.

Local churches shelter homeless women in two week rotation cycles. St. Michael Parish on Olympia's eastside and Sacred Heart Parish in Lacey shelter homeless men. Coordination and screening to house the men and women is done through Sidewalk, Olympia's homeless advocacy and support center, and Interfaith Works.

The women's shelter is currently at The Lutheran Church of Good Shephard, on North Street in Olympia.

Partnership Organizations

The women's emergency overflow shelter provided 1,786 bed-nights of shelter in winter 2011-12, hosted on a rotating basis by 12 different congregations. The shelter is now officially called the "Women's Interfaith Shelter."

"Usage of the shelter in November 2012 was about double the volume of the previous year," said Danny Kadden, executive director of Interfaith Works, in an email to Little Hollywood yesterday.

"After 22 years of operating various types of winter-only shelters, we heard a growing chorus of our faith community members seeking ways to serve the year-round needs of unsheltered people. With funding in hand from the County and United Way, Interfaith Works will begin in Spring 2013 operating the faith-based shelters for both men and women every night of the year. This will require significantly more volunteers and participating churches and temples than ever before, but we are all determined to fill this gap in our shelter system," said Kadden.

There are few alternatives for women without Interfaith Works' shelter involvement. The Salvation Army has only 14 beds for single women and has limitations on the length of their stays. Bread and Roses can only serve 12 women at a time and sometimes has a waiting list.

The system is complicated for all who are involved. Apart from the Salvation Army and Interfaith Works' shelter, youth 22 years or younger are served by Community Youth Services. Families are served by the Family Support Center, and women fleeing domestic violence are served by Safeplace.

When and if Olympia's Smith building on 8th Avenue is operational, it will have family transitional housing on top, and a family shelter on the bottom. That's the long-range vision. Funding for it is significant.

Advocate Christie Kruger

Christie Kruger, a longtime, trained volunteer advocate for the homeless, urges more churches to become involved in hosting the homeless.

"Churches do not have to be a member of Interfaith Works to participate in the rotation, but they preferrably need to be on a bus line."

Kruger serves the homeless in multiple roles as an in-take coordinator at Sidewalk, conducting brief interviews with people who walk-in needing housing or referrals to other resources. She also assigns clients to other volunteers for longer term advocacy. Sidewalk advocates help clients fill out applications, apply for state and federal benefits and find housing.

"There's layers and layers of work, depending on their situation. It can be overwhelming." Kruger does suffer from burn-out from time to time, but it doesn't last long.

She's also an overnight host at the women's shelter operated by Interfaith Works. Volunteer hosts check in the shelter guests, spend the night at the church with them, and do laundry. Two hosts sleep over each night. One of the hosts needs to be a woman. Shelter hours are from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. with lights out at 10 p.m.

As if that's not enough, she also schedules volunteer hosts for Camp Quixote, the homeless "tent city" that rotates from church to church.

Kruger, who has an approachable, friendly style, spent several nights with the women when St. John's Episcopal Church hosted the women's shelter from November 30 to December 13.

"Reaching out to the poor is a basic tenant of almost every faith...it's in their ministry," says Kruger.

"One of the benefits of doing this type of work is breaking down stereotypes and stigmas. Participating congregations will find they create and enrich a sense of community in their hosts as well as for the guests who might otherwise be outcast or socially isolated."

"If the homeless don't get screened into a shelter, where can they sleep safely, or at all? That's what it comes down to...." says Kruger.

SideWalk will be having a volunteer training in January. Go to www.walkthurston.org and click "volunteer" to sign up for training or find out more information. 

Sidewalk is currently looking for volunteers to serve as greeters, hospitality volunteers, volunteer support specialists, advocates, and intake specialists. Volunteers can give as much or as little as they are able, though most of Sidewalk's work is done during business hours, Monday- Thursday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

For more information, contact Emma Margraf, Community Outreach Manager at Sidewalk at (360) 515-5587 or emma@walkthurston.org.

Interfaith Works has comprehensive information, including a calendar of events and activities, on their website at www.oly-wa.us/interfaith.