It’s the same old same old as cops in McKinney, TX and across the nation find it impossible to curb their racism and brutality.
“From what we have seen on the video, the treatment is inhumane and especially since we are talking about teenagers,” said Gary Bledsoe, president of the Texas State Conference of the NAACP.
by Sarah Lazare
McKinney, TX (6-5-15) — A police officer’s brutal assault on black and brown teens attending a Friday pool party in the majority-white town of McKinney, Texas has sparked nationwide outrage and local plans for a March for Justice under the call, “We won’t stand idly by while children are terrorized in the street.”
“We are gathering to do a peaceful demonstration and standing in solidarity to show that we are a community and we stand together,” Keyaira Saunders Alexander of the Texas-based civil rights organization Next Generation Action Network told Common Dreams, explaining that the march is slated to take place Monday at 6:30 PM. “We want justice for those teens that were affected.”
The incident was captured in an approximately seven-minute video clip that went viral over the weekend, racking up nearly five million views on YouTube. The footage shows white police officer and patrol supervisor Eric Casebolt outside the Craig Ranch North Community Pool aggressively chasing and detaining teenagers—most black, all people of color, and none appearing to pose a threat—while slinging insults and curse words at them.
At one point, officer Casebolt proceeds to violently throw an African-American girl in a swimsuit, reportedly 14 years old, to the ground as she cries for her mother. When other teenagers of color attempt to aid the distraught child, the officer draws his gun on them, prompting them to flee. The officer then pins down the young girl by placing his knees on her back and pressing her face into the ground.
The white youth watching the incident can be seen being left completely alone by the police. White 15-year-old Brandon Brooks, who recorded the video, toldBuzzfeed, “Everyone who was getting put on the ground was black, Mexican, Arabic. [The cop] didn’t even look at me. It was kind of like I was invisible.”
The following footage of the incident may be disturbing to the viewer:
The McKinney Police Department claimed in a statement released Sunday, “The initial call came in as a disturbance involving multiple juveniles at the location, who do not live in the area or have permission to be there, refusing to leave.”
But this official version of events appears to be crumbling.
Black teenager Tatiana Rose, a Craig Ranch neighborhood resident, said she and her family members hosted the pool party and cookout, which was disrupted when one of the white pool-goers began hurling racial slurs at youth and telling them to “go back to Section 8 housing.” Her account, which was reiterated by teens who spoke to Buzzfeed, was posted to YouTube on Sunday:
No matter the official justification, civil rights advocates charge that the video unambiguously shows police targeting black and brown children with excessive force. “From what we have seen on the video, the treatment is inhumane and especially since we are talking about teenagers,” said Gary Bledsoe, president of the Texas State Conference of the NAACP. “These are our children.”
The incident is garnering broad condemnation amid a growing nation-wide movement against institutional racism and police killings under the banner of “Black Lives Matter.”
Some who are active in this movement say that the McKinney incident, in particular, highlights the ways in which police violence specifically targets black women and girls. “[I]t is the young girl, forced by her hair to the ground as she screamed for her mother, that chilled me the most,” wrote Kirsten West Savali in The Root.
As Yoni Appelbaum pointed out in an Atlanticarticle published Monday, the violence must be evaluated as part of broader U.S. history, in which pools have been key “battlefields” for desegregation, with many choosing to make pools private rather than racially integrate them. “Whatever took place in McKinney on Friday, it occurred against this backdrop of the privatization of once-public facilities, giving residents the expectation of control over who sunbathes or doggie-paddles alongside them,” wrote Appelbaum.
Furthermore, Appelbaum notes that McKinney itself has a troubling history of racial segregation: In 2009, the city settled a lawsuit that charged it with “illegal racial steering” by blocking Section 8 housing in the more affluent, white part of town.
Many have argued that the fact that some white neighborhood residents have no problem with the police response, and are even thanking police for Friday’s assault, underscores the deep racism that pervades the community.
The police department, for its part, said the video “raised concerns that are being investigated by the McKinney Police Department,” and announced that officer Casebolt has been placed on temporary administrative leave. The mayor of McKinney, Brian Loughmiller, stated that he was “disturbed” by the incident.
But Alexander emphasized the racism that black children—and all youth of color—face extends far beyond this one video. “We hope the world is able to see, we are coming together and speaking out,” she said. “We need social change.”
Olympia, WA (Sunday, 5-10-15) — Around two in the morning on May 10, 2015, witnesses saw a man vandalizing the Downtown Olympia Walking Patrol’s vehicle. They located the officers to inform them of the vandalism.
Witnesses saw the suspect, twenty-five-year-old Chask’e Lindgren, tear the passenger side mirror off the patrol car and slam it into the windshield. He kicked the car and threw a garbage can at it. One witness was in his car nearby and started honking his horn to try and get Lindgren to stop.
With assistance from a witness, the officers located Lindgren walking a couple blocks away from the incident. Walking Patrol called out for Lindgren to stop, but after looking at the officers, he continued to walk away. As officers attempted to detain Lindgren for questioning, he resisted their grasp while swearing and pulling away from them. Both officers restrained him, but were not able to cuff him until back up arrived.
While waiting, Lindgren started kicking one of the officers in the shins and stomping on his feet. Once other officers arrived and Lindgren was cuffed, he kicked at the vehicle and tires. Lindgren struggled with officers as they attempted to put him in the patrol vehicle, refusing to sit and preventing officers from putting his legs into the car.
Lindgren was booked at the Thurston County Jail for third degree assault, malicious mischief and resisting arrest.
by Andy Hobbs
Olympia, WA (5-11-15) — Olympia police arrested a man about 2 a.m. Sunday after a police car that belonged to the department’s downtown walking patrol was vandalized.
Chaske Lindgren, 25, was booked into the Thurston County Jail on suspicion of third-degree assault, malicious mischief and resisting arrest, and appeared Monday in Thurston County Superior Court. Because he has no criminal history, Lindgren was released on his own recognizance, but under the condition he not consume any alcohol. His arraignment was set for May 26.
Witnesses told police the suspect tore off the passenger side mirror and slammed it into the windshield, kicked the car, and threw a garbage can at it.
While detained by police, the suspect struggled with officers and kicked one of the officers in the shins and stomped on his feet, according to police.
Olympia, WA (Saturday, 5-30-15) — Ryan Wolf (30yo) from Eureka, CA, was arrested for stabbing a homeless man over a dispute involving missing personal belongings and who was to sleep on a discarded couch.
On the night of May 30, 2015, officers were called to a stabbing in downtown Olympia near the intersection of 7th Avenue and Franklin Street. The victim waved down a patrol officer as witnesses simultaneously called 911 to report the incident. The victim suffered a severe stab wound to his arm and an officer immediately applied a tourniquet while paramedics were in route.
The stabbing occurred after an argument broke out over a spot to sleep. The victim had been staying on a specific couch and maintaining the area as a living space. He found the suspect sleeping on the couch and noticed some of his belongings were missing. After confronting him, the suspect pulled a knife and the victim walked away in search of his belongings. When he returned to gather the rest of his property, the suspect attacked him with the knife. The victim used a broom to defend himself before the suspect ran off.
Witnesses said the suspect and victim were arguing when they saw the suspect make a stabbing motion and heard the victim scream. The suspect then fled and they chased after him. When they couldn’t catch him, they called 911 and also flagged down an officer.
The victim was initially taken to St. Peter’s Hospital, but was transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Doctors later informed OPD that the tourniquet ultimately saved the victim’s life. If he had gone any longer, he would have suffered an arterial bleed out and death.
On Monday, June 1st, a witness of the original incident saw the suspect at Ralph’s Thriftway and tipped off law enforcement to his location. Thirty-year-old Ryan Wolf was arrested and booked at the Thurston County Jail for Assault 1st.
Officials: Dozens(?) of labs received potentially live anthrax
[Just why the U.S. Military is making shipments of Anthrax at all is unclear.]
by Robert Burns
WASHINGTON — The problem of unintended shipments of potentially live anthrax spores over the past decade is worse than first believed, officials said Wednesday.
Officials said it’s possible that shipments were sent to more than four dozen laboratories in the U.S. and abroad. That’s about twice the estimate of last week.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss specifics by name.
The Pentagon has repeatedly asserted that the mistakes posed no public health hazard.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is leading an investigation of the matter.
Details on the extent of the problem are expected to be presented at a news conference Wednesday by Robert Work, the deputy defense secretary. Last Friday Work ordered a comprehensive review of laboratory procedures associated with killing, or inactivating, live anthrax for shipment to labs for research and other purposes(?), including for calibrating biological threat sensors such as those used by a number of federal government agencies, including the Pentagon.
The scope of the problem has grown almost daily since the Pentagon first acknowledged it publicly last Wednesday.
The initial focus was on procedures used at an Army laboratory at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, which shipped live anthrax samples that it believed had been killed through the use of radiation. It remains unclear why well-established procedures for killing the spores apparently did not work, at least with some batches of the bacteria.
Among the government labs identified in recent days as having received the suspect anthrax were the Army’s Edgewood Chemical Biological Center in Maryland and the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Virginia, as well as a lab on the grounds of the Pentagon.
Officials said that the Edgewood lab sent some of the samples it had received from Dugway to other labs in the U.S.
On Tuesday, in its most recent update, the Pentagon said potentially live anthrax samples had been mistakenly sent to labs in California, Virginia, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Delaware and Washington state. Also receiving suspect samples were labs in Australia, Canada and South Korea.
On Sunday, Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters while traveling in Asia that the mistaken shipments were an “unfortunate incident.” He said the Pentagon will make “sure that any public health consequences of this are avoided” and ensure that it never happens again. [Like the atomic bomb the U.S. Airforce ‘lost’ several years ago?]
The Centers for Disease Control of Prevention said last week that four people at labs in Delaware, Texas and Wisconsin were recommended to get antibiotics as a precaution, although they were not sick. U.S. officials at Osan Air Base in South Korea said 22 people were being treated for possible exposure there after word surfaced that an Osan lab was among the facilities that received suspect anthrax.
It’s difficult to ignore the moral this story may have for its human counterparts:
Tasman Peninsula dusky antechinus (Antechinus vandycki) is under threat.
Newly found marsupials basically sex themselves to death
by Elahe Izadi
Every year, antechinus marsupials get it on until the males all drop dead.
Researchers classified two new species of Dusky Antechinus, mouse-like creatures that engage in suicidal reproduction, and published their findings last week in the peer-reviewed journal Memoirs of the Queensland Museum — Nature. The Mainland Dusky Antechinus, found in southeastern Australia, has been elevated from sub-species to a distinct species. And the newly discovered Tasman Peninsula Dusky Antechinus, found in southeastern Tasmania, already faces the threat of extinction due in part to loss of habitat and feral pests, researchers said.
Their proclivity for ferocious, suicidal sex frenzies aren’t helping them any.
“The breeding period is basically two to three weeks of speed-mating, with testosterone-fueled males coupling with as many females as possible, for up to 14 hours at a time,” lead author Andrew Baker of the Queensland University of Technology said in a release.
All of that testosterone “triggers a malfunction in the stress hormone shut-off switch” for the males, Baker said. The males then get so stressed out that their immune systems fail, and they die before the females actually give birth.
Baker said the “yearly male suicide mission” cuts the population in half, leaving enough spiders and insects for the mothers to eat while raising the offspring.
Suicidal reproduction — or semelparity– is rare in mammals, and has so far just been documented in these kinds of marsupials.
A 2013 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences looked into why the marsupials evolved to have such extreme sexual behaviors. They concluded that the males didn’t die off as some kind of altruistic act to ensure the survival of their offspring. Rather, females may be synchronizing their mating to coincide with the availability of food while they’re pregnant. That short mating time frame creates intense competition — so intense that the males end up dying.
Over the past three years, scientists have identified five new antechinus species. The two marsupial species discussed in this new research occupy just a few square kilometers on remote, misty mountaintops. Most of the Tasman Peninusla animal’s “habitat falls within state forest, which is being logged,” Baker said. “This species now apparently only lives in tiny, fragmented stands of intact forest that are under threat.”
“It’s a shame that mere moments after discovery, these little Tasmanian marsupials are threatened with extinction at human hands,” Baker said.
Name:Dunn, Daniel Alan (dob:2-17-80),
131 NE Bear Ridge Rd, Belfair, WA 98528
Statute Offense Court Offense Class
--------------- ------------------------------ ----- --------
9A.32.030 Homicide SUPR HOMI FA
9A.52.020 Burglary, Resident, SUPR BRUE FA
Unlawf Ent
Daniel Alan Dunn
Daniel Alan Dunn & Co.
Name: Redfern, Christopher Glen (dob: 11-6-87)
1028 SW View Dr, Port Orchard, WA 98367
Statute Offense Court Offense Class
————— —————————- —– ——-
9A.32.030 Homicide SUPR HOMI FA
9A.52.020 Burglary, Resident, SUPR BRUE FA
Unlawf Ent
Christopher Glen Redfern of Port Orchard, WA
Christopher Glen Redfern
Christopher Glen Redfern
Christopher Glen Redfern
Christopher Glen Redfern
Christopher Glen Redfern
Belfair, WA (5-28-15) — The Mason County Sheriff’s Office has identified two suspects who were arrested after 51-year-old Charles Albion Austin (dob:7-22-63; originally from Manchester, NH) was found dead in his home near Belfair, WA.
The suspects, 27-year-old Christopher Glen Redfern of Port Orchard and 35-year-old Daniel Alan Dunn, are in Mason County Jail for investigation of murder and burglary. Superior Court Judge Toni Sheldon set bail at $1,000,000 for the suspect(s).
Neighbors who checked on Austin found him dead in his home on Monday afternoon. He died of a gunshot wound.
Sheriff’s detective William Adam said Thursday that detectives who searched the victim’s home (located between Tahuya and Belfair) found clues that led them to the suspects. Detectives aren’t sure when the death occurred, but believe it happened sometime last weekend, according to Ryan Spurling, chief deputy with the Sheriff’s office. Investigators were called Monday to Belfair View Estates near NE Hurd Rd. (150 NE Southridge Rd, Belfair, WA 98528-7733)
Authorities have labored since Monday after determining the death was suspicious, according to Spurling. Although the department would not disclose the name of the victim or suspect(s) to the Shelton Journal, other media sources were able to ferret out the names of the suspects and victim.
Initially, the Mason County Coroner had difficulty identifying the victim, Spurling said, because the body was so disfigured. Detectives believe they may have another possible suspect connected to the case.
One man was arrested Wednesday morning when deputies served a warrant on a residence in Mason County.
The second suspect was arrested later in the day in Kitsap County, Spurling said.
Olympia, WA (5-26-15) — After an evening full of heartfelt grievances voiced at the Olympia City Council meeting, Tuesday, over the shooting of two young black men, a search for a reputed broken window on 4th Ave was conducted and located at one of the tattoo shops on that street nearby. It had been boarded up with plywood, but one Oly LEO explained it had been the result of a domestic dispute and was unrelated to the demonstrations protesting the recent shooting of 2 young black males for an alleged shoplifting incident at the West side Safeway grocery store. The photos and reporting for that controversy can be found in a preceding article published here. Those who want more police action to reduce street crime in the community see themselves defending their officers from the criticisms of those who believe the tactics the Oly police employ are excessively violent and counter-productive.
After a beat down was observed on 4th Ave that evening, the police (when they arrived minutes later, only to find “no witnesses, including the victim”) were asked where their vaunted foot patrol was when this happened. They’d arrived by van and replied, “Well, we’re here now!”
King Solomon’s Reef welcoming committee?
Perpetrator well known to the Oly PD.
This report is about the danger and inhospitable lawless atmosphere found in Olympia’s Tenderloin district–on 4th Ave between City Hall and Capitol Blvd…especially near the taverns and alcohol retailers near the Artesian City Park. There’s an active and varied black market well attended after dark despite new foot patrols there by Olympia’s Police Dept. Prostitution, drug addiction/sales, theft, car prowls, vandalism, robbery, brawls and stabbings are common there. The area is littered with hypodermic needles and Heroin is said to be cheaper than marijuna on the streets of Olympia. On every occasion, when this reporter has ventured into that area, camera in tow on the public sidewalk, its possession has been challenged with suspicion and hostility…as though certain denizens found there have appropriated the commons for their own business/personal agenda.
Brutal Beat Down in front of King Solomon’s Reef on 4th Ave
The man being pummeled was heard to exclaim, “Let go of me!”
So it was after returning from a walk to the aforementioned broken window that a brutal sidewalk brawl in front of King Solomon’s Reef was seen about 10:00 p.m. that evening on a crowded sidewalk with dozens of onlookers/witnesses. Nobody made any move to stop or break up the fight which consisted of one man (reportedly well known to the police) beating another to the pavement with his fists and pounding him repeatedly in the face and head for about 1 – 2 minutes before fleeing the scene through the door to upstairs apartments located at 213 4th Ave above the food vendor shops lining the sidewalk.
The extent of the injuries sustained by this victim are unknown, but must have been substantial given the number of blows he received.
When the police arrived on the scene some minutes later, they were unable to locate any witnesses to the crime including the victim. It was said this is often the case when the violence is over a drug deal gone bad as neither party wants the police to know just what they were doing or what prompted the dispute. The display of violence certainly gave credibility to the complaints of many Olympia residents not feeling safe in that section of the city, thus discouraging them from shopping there. The vibes on the street at that hour toward ‘normal’ members of the community are negative and hostile. It’s believed this is inspired by the paranoia living outside the law brings with it. Drug deals are arranged or consummated in the taverns or in the upstairs apartments nearby. The bar owners have an easy opportunity to profit from these circumstances as a tavern easily obscures just who is up to what. Many local drug pushers use them as their ‘office’, and vet those who aren’t regulars and look like they may not ‘belong’. The sight of a member of the ‘press’ with a camera typically provokes panic/suspicion and hostility. It is NOT a safe environment for the police, the public, or even the criminal element. The Oly PD and City Council have their work cut out for them.
The door through which the assailant fled immediately after administering the beating seen in the photos published here.
The photos published here are intended to alert the public and expose those violent street criminals that endanger residents while destroying the community.
[Should video footage/news reports of LEO’s gunning down citizens in public be subject to copyright restrictions? How is this consistent with the 1st Amendment intent for a free press to act as a bulwark for transparency and accountability in government? In the event of competing interests (copyright vs transparency/accountability) shouldn’t the latter prevail?]
Officer Involved Shooting
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date of Release:
May 21, 2015
Contact:
Paul Lower Public Information Officer 360.753.8410 plower@ci.olympia.wa.us
Thurston County Critical Incident Team Investigating
At about 1:00 am this morning, Olympia Police responded to a call from the Westside Safeway store at 3215 Harrison Avenue West. Store employees reported that two black men had attempted to steal beer and, when confronted by employees, threw the stolen items at them then fled. As police investigated the matter, an officer found two men matching the suspect descriptions a short distance away. A few minutes later, the officer [35yo Ryan Donald] notified dispatch that he had been involved in a shooting. [Witnesses claim neither suspect was armed. Each had a skateboard, but protesters have argued those are not ‘weapons’. Donald was NOT injured. He reportedly called in to say he was being assaulted by a suspect with a skateboard.] Two men were shot by the officer. Preliminary reports indicate the men were both shot in the chest. Both men were transported to St. Peter’s Hospital in critical condition. Both men are in their twenties and believed to be from the Thurston County area.
The officer, who has been an officer for 3 years, has been put on administrative leave while the incident is investigated, following Olympia Police Department policy. The Thurston County Critical Incident Team is investigating the shooting. The Critical Incident Team is composed of detectives from five local agencies.
[Donald, 35, who is on administrative leave pending the investigation, has been with the department for just over three years. No residents have filed complaints against him, and he was recently recognized by the agency for being proactive on investigations, Roberts said. He worked previously as an Army police officer, the chief said.]
More details will be released as they are available. An initial briefing for the media will be at 6am at the Olympia City Hall Council Chambers, 601 4th Ave E. A second briefing is anticipated at 10am this morning.
Officer Involved Shooting – Follow Up Information
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date of Release:
May 21, 2015
Contact:
Paul Lower Public Information Officer 360.753.8410 plower@ci.olympia.wa.us
Explanation of the Investigation Process Scheduled for 3pm at Olympia City Hall Council Chambers
The investigation of the officer-involved shooting by the Thurston County Critical Incident Team. The two men who were shot have been identified as Andre Thompson (age 24) and Bryson Chaplin (21), who are step-brothers and both from Olympia. The Critical Incident Team has identified a number of witnesses who detectives have interviewed, although details of those interviews are not yet available.
Another press briefing will be given at 3pm at Olympia City Hall. Brad Watkins, Chief Thurston County Sheriff’s Deputy, will explain the investigatory process of the Critical Incident Team.
The City has established a webpage to keep our community informed about the investigation and to disseminate information as it becomes available. Also located on the website are the Department’s policies, video and audio recordings as they become available, and information about public meetings.
Several community forums to discuss the event are being planned. Details will be available soon on our website. Minor, peaceful demonstrations have occurred throughout the day with no disruptions. The City of Olympia appreciates the community’s patience as the investigation continues to unfold.
Andre’s Sister
Andre Thomas
Bryson Chaplin
Message from Chief of Police
Olympia, WA (8-1-12) — Chief Ronnie Roberts sent the following message to neighborhood associations in Olympia as an introduction to the newest members of the Olympia Police Department (OPD).
Over the last year we have been feverishly working to hire officers to fill vacancies left by retirements and resignations. I wanted to introduce you to some of our new officers.
Officer Ryan Donald is out of the Academy finishing his last rotation with his PTO. Officer Ryan Donald was born in Frankfurt Germany in 1980. He grew up in a military family. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Military Police Corp. just after September 11, 2001. Officer Donald was stationed in Germany after receiving his basic training. He has completed two deployments to Iraq and one to Kosovo. After returning to the states he was stationed in Arizona where he worked with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Officer Donald left the military after eight years and was employed as a Loss Prevention Officer before being hired with the Olympia Police Department.
Westside Olympia Safeway
Black Suspects shot by Oly LEO–Criminal Histories in Clark County Calm urged as investigation continues
[Old Legal Maxim: “When you don’t have the facts to buttress your argument, attack your opponent’s character.”]
by Mike Carter
Olympia, WA (5-22-15) — Police and public officials urged civility while promising a thorough and unbiased investigation into Thursday’s early-morning shooting of two African-American shoplifting suspects by a white officer.
The suspects used to live in Clark County, where they both have criminal histories.
Police and Olympia Mayor Stephen Buxbaum provided little information about the confrontation except to say there was no early evidence that race was a factor in the shooting. They also warned it could be weeks before the investigation is completed.
“It deeply saddens me that we have two young people in the hospital as a result of an altercation with an officer of the law,” Buxbaum said. “Let’s come together to support their needs, the officer’s needs, the needs of the families and our community’s needs. Let’s not be reactive.”
Despite the call for calm, the evening ended with a violent confrontation between protesters and police.
A few dozen demonstrators gathered near City Hall around midnight in Olympia, chanting, “This won’t end until the last cop dies.”
Officers eventually dispersed the crowd with flash-bangs and protesters responded by throwing rocks before leaving the area. No injuries were reported.
Demonstrations earlier in the evening had remained peaceful.
The two shoplifting suspects were identified as stepbrothers Bryson Tyler Chaplin, 21, and Andre Damon Thompson, 24, both of Olympia. Chaplin was in critical condition Thursday and Thompson was in serious condition.
Both are expected to live, said Chief Deputy Brad Watkins of the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, which is heading the four-agency task force investigating the shooting.
Neither man was armed with a firearm, according to police. The officer who shot the men, Ryan Donald, reported by radio that he had been assaulted with a skateboard during an encounter with Chaplin and Thompson on a darkened street.
Watkins said Donald was not injured. Donald, 35, a three-year Olympia Police Department veteran, has been placed on administrative leave, which is routine after a police shooting.
Donald was one of several officers who responded to a shoplifting call at the Westside Safeway store shortly before 1 a.m. Thursday. Employees reported two men with skateboards had tried to steal beer and, when confronted, threw the beer at the employees and fled, according to police.
Donald stopped two suspects a short distance from the supermarket and “a few minutes later, the officer notified dispatch that he had been involved in a shooting,” the department said in a news release.
Watkins said detectives have interviewed two witnesses who were driving by and saw the officer with his firearm drawn.
“They said they saw another man advancing aggressively toward the officer,” he said. The couple did not stop and did not see the shooting, he said.
Detectives also interviewed Thompson in the hospital, but Watkins said during a news conference that he did not know how his version of events squared with the officer’s.
Donald gave a preliminary statement to other officers at the scene, but has not been formally interviewed by detectives in keeping with task-force protocol, Watkins said. That should happen Tuesday, he said.
Watkins said detectives recovered shell casings from two spots, and police said there were apparently two separate altercations – one near Donald’s patrol car, where the department said Donald was first attacked.
The second occurred nearby at the edge of a copse of woods where the men fled after the initial shots were fired, Watkins said.
Police said the men came out of the woods and confronted the officer.
“We don’t really know what happened there yet,” Watkins said.
In radio calls released by police, Donald calls dispatchers after spotting one of the men, and again after he had apparently shot one of them.
“I believe one of them is hit, both of them are running,” he said. He told dispatchers one of the men had “assaulted me with a skateboard.” He described the men as “very aggressive.”
Donald then reports he has one man, then both, at gunpoint and asks for backup. Seconds later, he reports “Shots fired. One down,” and again asks for additional officers.
Then, he reports the second man had been shot.
Olympia Police Chief Ronnie Roberts said an officer “has the right to defend himself” against an attack with an object that could be used as a deadly weapon.
Watkins said the initial confrontation with Safeway employees was caught on security camera. However, there is no dashboard camera or audio recording of the encounter between Donald and the two young men.
Yauger Park, which includes a skatepark, is directly behind the Safeway store. Two young men at the park Thursday afternoon, who didn’t want to give their names, said they had been drinking beer at the park with Chaplin and Thompson until about 11 p.m. Wednesday when the group left.
Crystal Chaplin and Jasmine Thompson, of Olympia, mother and sister of the two wounded men, said they believe the shooting was the result of mistaken identity, according to The Olympian newspaper.
Chaplin said she doesn’t believe her sons would shoplift.
“There are a lot of black men around,” Chaplin said. “It could have been anybody.”
Andre Thompson’s criminal history includes guilty pleas in Clark County District Court to supplying liquor to a minor, minor in possession of alcohol and bail jumping in 2012, according to court records.
In another case, the same year, he pleaded guilty in Clark County to obstructing a law-enforcement officer while a third-degree theft charge was dismissed.
In 2013, he was cited in Tumwater, Thurston County, for operating a motor vehicle without a valid license and having no valid operator license. In April, he was ticketed in Lewis County for failure to wear a safety belt.
Bryson Chaplin’s criminal history includes a 2012 guilty plea in Clark County Superior Court to taking a motor vehicle without permission, according to court records.
He also has an extensive juvenile-court record in Clark County, including guilty pleas for second-degree robbery, taking a motor vehicle without permission, theft and assault.
Thurston County Prosecutor Jon Tunheim said he has assigned someone to the police-task force investigating the shooting. Tunheim said he will decide, after the facts are gathered, whether criminal charges should be filed.
He acknowledged his office works closely with all the agencies involved in the task force, but does not believe that poses a conflict of interest – an issue raised in the investigations into other high-profile police shootings, including the death of Antonio Zambrano-Montes in Pasco in February.
Tunheim said the Washington law that applies to the use of deadly force by police poses a “fairly high standard” for prosecution. Officers must be shown to have acted both with bad faith and with malice to be convicted, he said.
“I have every confidence this is going to be very thorough investigation,” he said.
City officials moved early to try to blunt any public backlash to the shootings, which come amid a national outcry and protests over the deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of police, including Freddie Gray in Baltimore; Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.; Eric Garner on Staten Island, N.Y.; and 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland.
The city has set up a special webpage for updates on the shooting and held two media briefings Thursday, the first one only hours after the shooting.
More than 125 people gathered Thursday evening downtown at the Temple Beth Hatfiloh to share how they felt about the shooting.
In a quaking voice, one man described hearing the shootings: “It was swift, and it was over.”
Several residents took turns calling for a wholly independent investigation of the shooting, as well as more citizen oversight in general of police.
Reuben Yancey, a 62-year-old retiree, told those gathered that he didn’t believe the shooting would have taken place if the men had been white.
“The racial aspect of it can’t be avoided,” said Yancey.
Only two of the Olympia Police Department’s 68 police officers are black.
Around 7 p.m., a crowd of several hundred that had gathered at a park began marching. Carrying signs with the names of Chaplin and Thompson and slogans such as “disarm the police,” they marched on Harrison Avenue downtown.
State Sen. Bob Hasegawa, D-Seattle, watched the demonstration from a sidewalk table at a popular restaurant. When asked what he hoped would result from the day’s events, he said, “a fair investigation.”
Demonstrators reached City Hall about 8 p.m., chanting the names of the men shot, adding later: “Indict Ryan Donald!”
Among those gathered was Kyle Krueger, a student at The Evergreen State College. Krueger, 22, said that from what he had heard, Chaplin’s and Thompson’s actions were “uncalled for.”
But in shooting them, “The officer didn’t do the right thing,” he said.
Earlier, Mayor Buxbaum urged public calm and praised those citizens who gathered Thursday at several small protests outside Olympia City Hall for respecting the peace.
“Our community is a strong, caring and compassionate community. We deeply value nonviolence and justice that is restorative. This is a challenging time that I know we will move through together, learn from and be stronger as a result,” he said.
There’s always something about music that keeps life interesting. Given plans here are to play sax for an all girl dance troupe upon arriving in Heaven (being optimistic), interested ladies wishing to aid/abet the filming and sax playing sax accompaniment for this number are invited to drop/leave a note/comment w/contact info.
Shelton, WA (4-26-15) — Ok I have had A LOT of people ask what happened to my son..I have been given permission from our attorneys to post..I said I would leave the police officer’s name out of it..but he asked why? So here goes..feel free to share!
I live in a small community–Shelton, Washington. My son Steven failed to check in one week with his DOC officer…at which time a warrant for his arrest was issued. He was looking at 30 days! On April 25th [It was the 26th in the wee hours.] the car my son was riding in was pulled over..my son decided to jump out and run…officer Robert Andrew Auderer [graduated from BLEA ~ 6/2012, DOB: 12-27-76] began a foot pursuit..at which time he decided to taze him..he was tazed in the back of his neck where it meets the hard part of your skull!
My son was on the ground rendered UN-moveable when officer RobertAndrewAuderer decided to stomp on my son’s head..breaking his eye socket, cheek bone and nose..he even put in his report that he punched my son in the side.
MY SON WAS NOT FIGHTING…SO I ASK WHY???? The reports say my son was taken to Mason General for “minor” injuries. I was denied 3 visits with my son! And then on April 28th my son was transported to the Harborview trauma center in Seattle for those said minor injuries! Yesterday he had face reconstruction surgery at Harborview where the plastic surgeon put metal plate and screws in his cheek fixed his eye socket and nasal passage..he is recovering now!
This saddens me, that we have a police officer in our town that thinks he can get away with this!!! Look what’s happening..Ferguson…Baltimore..at least I get to still hug my son!!! Police BRUTALITY needs to stop now!!!
officer Robert Andrew Auderer
7639 10th Way, SE, Lacey, WA. 98503 (recent residence belonging to Dennis & Dianne Auderer, parents?)
Robert Andrew (‘Andy’?) Auderer, 920 east bay dr, ne, apt 1c101, Olympia,WA 98506?
