Alexis Gallaway-Tonasket, Annemarie Frohnhoefer and Emily Peters: Spokane Law Enforcement: Denounce White Supremacy

Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick was bludgeoned to death by a mob of Trump supporters. No one deserves such a death. Officer Sicknick’s political views may have differed from those of the Human Rights Activist Coterie of Spokane (HRAC), but on January 6, the United States shared a single enemy: white supremacists who sought to overtake our institutions. Our institutions are not equitable and they are not perfect. Yet, Officer Sicknick died protecting our democratic process and we condemn the violence used against him.

The Human Rights Activist Coterie of Spokane (HRAC) is highly critical of US policing policies and practices. We seek a future in which the current policing system is obsolete. At the same time, we are realists who understand that a transition into a demilitarized society requires a steady process that recognizes law enforcement’s community services. These services must be deployed with equity and neutrality, traits that are not currently uniformly upheld. Other activists may not agree with our long-term goals or process but we do agree that reducing harm and improving safety, security and comfort in our community is something that needs to happen now.

As of this writing, local law enforcement agencies have not honored Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, an Iraqui war veteran who died protecting democracy. Current silence regarding the death of Officer Sicknick is indicative of a double-standard often exhibited by local law enforcement agencies and officers. Likewise, they have not honored Officer Eugene Goodman for his quick thinking when outnumbered by a mob of white supremacists carrying Confederate battle flags. Officer Goodman de-escalated the crowd by keeping his emotional brain in check, a strategy that local law enforcement has stated they support. Officer Goodman protected the Senate Chamber without causing injury or firing a shot.

Throughout the summer, HRAC has organized demonstrations against police brutality. We have never called for injury to officers and we work to ensure that our demonstrations are peaceful. We have always taken measures to protect our protesters, counter-protesters, and law enforcement who are present at our demonstrations through our public transparency, de-escalation practices, and peaceful intentions. Despite this, we are frequently met by armed counter-protestors and treated with suspicion by law enforcement.

Over the course of the summer, we encountered some law enforcement officers who maintained their neutrality and exhibited professionalism while interacting with groups whose views and goals conflict with one another’s. Unfortunately, this was not our experience with all officers we observed. We’ve also come into contact with officers who choose to openly favor certain groups and demographics and who consistently apply a

double standard to protest groups. Today, Back the Blue counter-protestors, the Spokane Police Guild and local law enforcement remain silent despite one of their own being killed in the line of duty and another acting heroically when the odds were stacked against him.

Once again, we are calling on those organizations and individuals who have taken an oath and are funded by taxpayers to publicly denounce white supremacy in recognition of the systemic and violent damage that has been made apparent by the disturbing acts in Washington DC. We call on you to serve and protect all members of our community with professionalism, fairness and neutrality. We call on you and your loudest supporters to publicly denounce racism and unequal practices within our local agencies, organizations, culture and communities. You have the resources and the authority to do this. Sheriff Knezovich, Chief Meidl and representatives of the Spokane Police Guild: The complacency we’ve seen from local law enforcement must end and action must be taken to eradicate the presence of white supremacy within law enforcement and our community.

Alexis Gallaway-Tonasket, Annemarie Frohnhoefer and Emily Peters are members of the Human Rights Activist Coterie of Spokane.