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PRESS ADVISORY For Immediate Release: Contact: Rita Green, education@seattlekingcountynaacp.org or KL Shannon, policeaccountability@seattlekingcountynaacp.org Rally Supporting Michael Bennett Standing with Kaepernick #S4K Seattle #12s4BlackLives #Justice4Bennett What:
Rally for Kaepernick and Black lives before Seahawks first home game, Sunday, September 17th Michael Bennett’s brother Rashaud Bennett to speak out about police brutality incident in Las Vegas Who: Sponsored by: Seattle King County NAACP, The Social Equality Educators (SEE) The following speakers are confirmed for the rally: Gerald Hankerson – President, Seattle King County NAACP & NAACP Alaska Oregon Washington State Area Conference Reshaud Bennett – Artist, Dreamer, Future Author, Do'er of all Things, brother of Michael Bennett Katrina Johnson—Cousin of Charleena Lyles Dave Zirin – The Nation magazine Sports Editor & co-author of Michael Bennett's forthcoming book, Things That Make White People Uncomfortable. Jesse Hagopian – Social Equality Educators board member Nikkita Oliver – Creative, teaching artist, attorney, & organizer When: Sunday, September 17that 11:00am Where: 4th & Jackson. Union Station. Across the street from Bartell's Drug. Seattle, WA--A rebellion against injustice and in support of Black lives has erupted in the NFL. It started last season when Colin Kaepernick made the courageous decision to draw attention to police brutality and oppression by taking a knee during the playing of the national anthem. Because of his willingness to speak truth to power, Kaepernick is actively being blackballed from playing in the NFL and no team will sign him. Seattle Seahawk pro bowler and Super Bowl champion Michael Bennett has been one of the biggest supporters of Kaepernick and one of the most prominent NFL players supporting the movement for Black lives. Bennett has sat during the national anthem during the entire preseason and has vowed to continue for the entire season, in an effort to highlight the unjust murder of Black people by police and the rising white supremacy that was on display in Charlottesville, Virginia. Recently Michael Bennett was in Las Vegas for the Mayweather-McGregor fight. On the morning of August 27th, a reported shooting on the Vegas strip led to chaos. Michael Bennett ran for cover, as did hundreds of others. Instead of being assisted, video and photographic evidence shows that Las Vegas police targeted Bennett, put him on the ground in handcuffs while the primary officer took out a weapon and placed it near the back of his head. According to Bennett, the officer said that if Bennett moved he would "blow [his] fucking head off." Bennett was then put in a police car, and after a period of time let go without charges. “The horrific treatment of Michael Bennett by the Las Vegas police will not be tolerated by advocates of justice and equality,” said Seattle King County NAACP President Gerald Hankerson said. “Michael Bennett is a superstar, not only on the field but in our communities, and we are coming together in his hour of need.” “Michael Bennett has long stood for our community,” said Seattle high school teacher Jesse Hagopian. “Michael has given his time and his money to support many local initiatives for youth in Seattle. Now we are standing up for him.” Jesse Continued, “Michael’s support for the victorious movement for ethnic studies in the Seattle Public Schools, his support for the Black Lives Matter at School day initiative, his support of the Freedom School program, his community garden initiative at interagency schools and the youth detention center make Bennett an invaluable contributor to uplifting education in Seattle.” The Nation magazine sports editor, Dave Zirin, said, “The NFL is denying Colin Kaepernick employment not because he isn’t ‘good enough,’ but because he is using his platform to protest the killing of black kids by police.”
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For Immediate Release: Tuesday, June 20th, 2017 Contact: Rachael DeCruz, communications@seattlekingcountynaacp.org, 508-451-9455 Another Black Person Murdered at the Hands of Seattle Police Department Seattle King County NAACP Demands Justice for Victim's Family Seattle, WA--On Sunday, June 18th, Seattle police officers shot and killed a young Black woman, Charleena Lyles, in her home. The Seattle King County NAACP released the following statement in response: "Sunday's tragedy should never have happened. A young Black woman called the police for help. She reported an attempted break-in and somehow wound up dead; murdered at the hands of Seattle Police Department (SPD). Charleena Lyles was pregnant, and had three children who were in the apartment when she was shot and killed. The police also knew that she suffered from mental health issues; citing that as their reason to send two officers. The NAACP demands that Seattle City Council and the Mayor hold a public hearing where Charleena's family and our community can question SPD Chief O'Toole directly about this incident. The Seattle King County NAACP does not want to see any more excuses or justifications for such a callous use of force. SPD's current consent decree agreement with the Department of Justice means nothing if it can't prevent the death of someone like Charleena Lyles. We also know that this is not an isolated incident. Her death can only be understood in the context of a much larger pattern of institutional and structural racism in our country. SPD has a long history of excessive use of force, especially when it comes to people of color. While people sit by and debate the nuances of police reform, the death toll in our community continues to rise. As we fight to ensure that Charleena's family receives the justice that they deserve, the officers that shot her are on paid, administrative leave. Something is terribly wrong with our justice system when someone loses their life and the people accountable are put on paid vacation. The Seattle King County NAACP is tired of watching Black and Brown people victimized at the hands of our police. We're tired of releasing statement after statement demanding justice and accountability, only to have the officers found not guilty. The state of police relations in our city and across the country is abysmal. We have a serious problem on our hands, and no amount of training, or protocol is going to fix it. It's time to actually start holding officers accountable when they kill innocent victims; sending a clear and strong message that force of that kind won't be tolerated. What unfolded on Sunday was an aggressive showing of force against a young, Black woman, who was known to have mental health problems. The police should have been prepared to handle the situation accordingly, and find ways to de-escalate the conversation and ensure that everyone stayed safe. At the root of all of these interactions, is the dehumanization of people of color. The headlines immediately following Charleena's death mentioned she was armed and had mental health issues. But Charleena was much more than that. She was a human being; a mother, a sister, and a dedicated member of the community. She was scared. But even if she wasn't any of those things, she was still a young woman who deserved to have her humanity recognized by the police that showed up at her door and ultimately killed her. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Charleena Lyles' family; from her children who were forced to witness her death, to everyone that knew and loved her." ### Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. More information about the Seattle King County NAACP can be found here: www.seattlekingcountynaacp.org MEDIA STATEMENT
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, March 14th, 2017 Contact: Rachael DeCruz, communications@seattlekingcountynaacp.org, 508-451-9455 Seattle King County NAACP Disappointed But Not Surprised by Prosecutor's Decision Underscores the Need to Change the WA. State Deadly Use of Force Law Seattle, WA--On Tuesday morning, King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg announced that he will not charge the officers involved in the police killing of Che Taylor. This decision came after an inquest was held in early February to look into the facts surrounding the death of Taylor. In response, the Seattle King County NAACP released the following statement: "We are deeply disappointed that the officers responsible for the shooting death of Che Taylor will not be held accountable, but we can't say that we're surprised. It proves what we've known all along: that our criminal justice system is set-up to protect police officers, even when it comes at the expense of protecting the community. The NAACP stated at the time of the inquest that we deserved answers from Seattle Police Department (SPD) to fill in the gaping holes that exist in their version of the story. The answers that we got from the inquest: The all-white jury unanimously agreed that (1) Officer Michael Spaulding did not observe Che Taylor wearing a holstered handgun on his right hip (Question 10), (2) Officer Scott Miller did not see Mr. Taylor move his right hand to his right hip area (Question 41), (3) Taylor was complying with officers demands when he was shot (Questions 33 and 34), and (4) Taylor was not carrying a gun when he was shot (Questions 46 and 47). SPD’s own video footage confirms that Taylor was doing what the officers asked when he was shot and killed—ask any prosecutor, evidence does not get better than a killing caught on tape. In broad daylight, police shot an unarmed man who was doing what police asked. Yet, no murder charge. No criminal consequences at all. No justice for Che Taylor or his family. Our question is simple: if not in this case, when? Today, King County Prosecutor Satterberg failed to press charges against the officers responsible for killing Che Taylor, just like he did back in 2011 when he chose not to press charges against Officer Ian Birk who killed John T. Williams (despite the fact that the police department found the shooting unjustified). The death of Williams is what triggered the Department of Justice investigation into SPD; now, six years later and despite a consent decree, we're still seeing the same results. This represents a long and troubling pattern of prosecutors refusing to hold police officers accountable for the senseless deaths of people of color across our country, from Ferguson to Seattle. We need prosecutors to have the political courage to do the right thing; to hold officers accountable to the law and ensure that transparency and faith are restored in our justice system. If Satterberg can't commit to holding police officers accountable and restoring community trust in our justice system, maybe it's time to elect someone who can. The prosecutor's decision clearly indicates that we need to change the Washington State deadly use of force law to remove references to malice and good faith, creating a clear pathway to accountability and transparency within our police department. This is not simply about the senseless death of Che Taylor. It's about fixing our criminal justice system so that it actually makes our communities safer, instead of leaving people of color vulnerable to police brutality and excessive use of force." ### Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. More information about the Seattle King County NAACP can be found here: www.seattlekingcountynaacp.org PRESS ADVISORY For Immediate Release:
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