WEB PAGE TOOLS ~ Print this article ~ E-mail your opinion on this article OTHER FEATURES STORIES ~ Every 15 minutes: Catching, prosecuting car thieves not easy tasks (Part two of a two-part series) ~ Multicultural community meets at Crossroads ~ A drive across the 'Top of the World' ~ One man, one island, one bird, one world Victim-support groups hold street corner vigil against police brutality D. K. Nguy Special to The Ebbtide Howard Walker made his way through a crowd of about 20 protesters, shook hands with every individual, and thanked them for their participation and support. Walker then lit candles to commemorate the victims of police violence, including his mentally ill brother, David, who was shot and killed by Seattle Police Officer Tommie Doran three years ago. This killing, which Walker called a "curbside death penalty," was captured on video and shown repeatedly on TV. Photo by D. K. Nguy Community members gather to protest police brutality. The street corner vigil, held April 19 at Taylor Avenue North and Denny Way, was organized by the Seattle Chapter of the October 22nd Coalition (O22). Formed seven years ago, this national coalition works to end police brutality and to support victims and their families. The group chose the location because it was where Seattle Police surrounded and shot David Walker on April 12, 2000. Some protesters carried picket signs with portraits of victims of police brutality, while others toted signs with a sketch of a police shooting, along with the words, "Danger police in area." A few commuters asked about the vigil, and others honked in support as they drove by. Later, several protesters decided on a spontaneous march to the Best Western Loyal Inn about three blocks away. (Cynthia Swetsell, from O22, explained that Shawn Howell, 33, was staying at the Loyal Inn in November 2002, looking for work, and trying to cope with marital and financial problems. After a stand-off, the distraught Howell was shot and killed by a Seattle SWAT team.) A seasoned activist, A. McDonald from the Tacoma Chapter of National Action Network, led the brief march and did most of the speaking. McDonald denounced "all forms of police brutality, all forms of police injustice," and urged that "The police should be arrested for breaking the law." He led the protest chants such as, "No justice, no peace. No racist police!" Other than one patrol car parked about 70 feet away, there was virtually no police presence at the protest. The event was organized to call attention to other local police brutalities that occurred in the month of April, such as the killing of Robert Thomas Sr. A year ago, Thomas, his son and another passenger were sitting in a pickup truck blocking a private road. Off-duty King County Deputy Melvin Miller responded to a call from a neighbor about the truck. An inquest into the incident found that Miller, in plain clothes, approached those in the truck and refused to identify himself when asked. Testimony further revealed that from the time Miller approached Thomas to the time when he shot him took only15 seconds. Miller claimed Thomas aimed a gun at him. However, Thomas' son claimed that he and his father were unarmed when Miller fired three shots at them. A friend of Thomas in attendance at the vigil, Pearl Richard, gave her account of the inquest proceedings that followed. "I was nauseated at the inquest. It was a big joke," she said. "Justice is not served whenever you get caught in a competition against the police, even more so if you're black." According to O22, Thomas and other victims of police brutality are killed twice, first by the police and then by police apologists who attack the victim's character. In the Thomas case, local media focused on Thomas' criminal record. The Seattle Times reported that King County Sheriff Dave Reichert said the elder Thomas belonged to a "motorcycle gang" and that his judgment was "impaired from using drugs at an all-night party." But community leaders decried the incorrect characterization, saying that Thomas belonged to a motorcycle enthusiast club and that no drugs were found in the truck. Reichert later apologized for his unjust characterization. On the other hand, police officers with a history of excessive force are not demonized. In 1988, Police Officer Tommie Doran shot a drunken driver in the leg. He had loaded his gun with .357 Magnum ammunition, which is more powerful than the department-issued rounds. Officer Doran was not publicly demonized for his violent history when he killed David Walker 12 years later. Dan DiLeva, an O22 organizer, said that people need to remember, "Even if these victims committed a crime, they still deserved due process of the law" before the execution, as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. The Coalition is planning at least one more, bigger protest on Oct. 22. © 2003 Shoreline Community College™