Crowd marches to King County Executive’s home Thursday

Nightly demonstrations calling for the defunding of the Seattle Police Department, no youth jail, and the release of jailed protesters, among other demands, continued Thursday.

A group of marchers arrived outside King County Executive Dow Constantine’s house just before 11 p.m. Thursday. He masked up and came out to speak with the group, starting by addressing questions about his plan to convert the remaining units at the youth detention center to other uses.

King County Executive to phase out youth detention, King County jail

KIRO Radio’s Hanna Scott reported that it was a “very cordial chat.” The crowd asked if Constantine makes decisions for Black communities, why doesn’t he spend time getting to know them? Constantine then invited leaders of the group to come meet with him and get a look at some of the existing programs in place for Black youth. 

Nightly demonstrations to #DefundSPD #noyouthjail & #FreeThemAll & other protester demands continue tonight. Right now a march has arrived outside @kcexec home, and Dow Constantine is outside discussing the new youth detention, jailed protesters & more @KIRORadio

— Hanna Scott (@HannaKIROFM) July 31, 2020

The group also asked Constantine if Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Brown would be fired for social media posts that appeared to mock demonstrators, including an “All Lives Splatter” graphic that depicted people being run over by a car. Brown posted the graphic soon after protesters Summer Taylor and Diaz Love were hit on I-5. Constantine said it would be King County Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht’s decision, but he did refer to the posts and actions as “outrageous,” adding that he thinks Brown should be fired.

The conversation ended peacefully, and marchers encouraged Constantine to show his support for their efforts by showing up to a planned demonstration Friday.

Detectives are also investigating after a 47-year-old man says he was attacked by protesters outside his Queen Anne home early Thursday. The man says he went outside to tell the demonstrators to quiet down and told police that some in the group shined laser pointers in his eyes, and hit him in the head with what may have been a flashlight. He says he recorded the attack on his phone, but someone grabbed it out of his hands and the video was erased. The Queen Anne resident did add that some of the protesters tried to help him.

Seattle police took his story at the hospital where he was receiving treatment for a head injury, and evidence at his home supports his account. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Violent Crimes tip line at 206-233-5000.

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