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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 20 June 2017
Recording: Woman brandished shears in past police encounter

recent years. All Seattle of- or their race.
ficers receive training on The department said it had
how to better handle those been a typical burglary re-
with mental illness or abus- port and “two officers were
ing drugs. required due to informa-
Kenny Isabell said his cous- tion pertaining to this ad-
in, Lyles, was pregnant and dress that presented an in-
some of her four other chil- creased risk to officers.”
dren were inside the apart- Near the beginning of the
ment during the shooting. roughly four-minute police
He said she was depressed audio recording, before
but not violent and “was they reach the apartment,
going through some things the officers discuss a “safe-
in her life.” ty caution” about the ad-
Still, she was attending his dress and a previous law
church regularly while mak- enforcement interaction
ing an effort to improve her with the woman.
life, said Isabell, pastor of The officers talk about the
The Way of Holiness Church woman previously bran-
of God in Seattle. “Now dishing large metal shears
this. It’s unfortunate. It’s dis- during an encounter with
turbing.” police, trying to prevent
Local high school teacher and activist Jesse Hagopian speaks as several dozen people attend Lyles was black, and Isabell officers from leaving her
a vigil outside the apartment building of Charleena Lyles, a 30-year-old woman who was shot by said he’s frustrated with apartment, and making
police after she called them to respond to an attempted burglary, Sunday, June 18, 2017. Lyles police killing black people “weird statements” about
has a history of mental illness and police say she brandished a knife during the incident.
(Genna Martin/seattlepi.com via AP) across the country. her and her daughter turn-
“Do our lives really matter ing into wolves.
By PHUONG LE an’s voice responds, “Do formed first aid, but medics to them?” he asked. “What Seattle Municipal Court
Associated Press it! Do it!” An officer radios arrived and determined do you want from us? We records show that Lyles
SEATTLE (AP) — Fam- “We need help!” and the she had died. try to comply and this is still was arrested June 5 and
ily members of a pregnant police say “Get back!” The shooting comes as happening. booked into King County
mother shot and killed by again three more times Seattle police are under You’re killing our young Jail. She pleaded not guilty
Seattle police questioned before five gunshots are federal oversight follow- men and now a young to two counts harassment
Monday why they didn’t heard. ing a 2011 investigation woman has died.” and obstructing a police
use a Taser or other non- Seattle police said the of- that found officers were Police would not release officer at her arraignment
lethal options when they ficers immediately per- too quick to use force. In the identities of the officers the next day.q
encountered the woman,
who the officers knew had Police expert: Ex-officer justified in Milwaukee shooting
been struggling with men-
tal health issues. By IVAN MORENO with Sylville Smith, who ran gree reckless homicide are said he needed to act fast.
The two officers had gone Associated Press from a traffic stop holding a expected Monday after- After a brief foot chase,
to Charleena Lyles’ apart- MILWAUKEE (AP) — gun on Aug. 13.“From what noon. Smith slipped and hit the
ment on Sunday after she A police expert in the use (Heaggan-Brown) knew, Willis was the only witness ground. Heaggan-Brown
reported a burglary. She of deadly force testified he was presented with called by the defense af- shot Smith on his right bicep
confronted them with a Monday that the former a deadly threat and re- ter Heaggan-Brown an- as he stood and threw the
knife, authorities said. Milwaukee officer on trial sponded,” said Robert Wil- nounced on Friday that he gun away over a fence.
An audio recording of the for fatally shooting a black lis, who has trained police would not take the witness He shot him again less than
encounter released by po- man after a foot chase officers and wrote Wiscon- stand in his own defense. two seconds later, this time
lice indicates the officers “acted in accordance with sin’s Defensive and Arrest Prosecutors have argued in the chest, when Smith
spent about two minutes his training.” Tactics Manual. Smith was defenseless fell on his back.Milwaukee
The testimony came as The shooting sparked two when Heaggan-Brown fa-
County District Attorney
calmly speaking with Lyles attorneys for Dominique nights of rioting in the ma- tally shot him because he John Chisholm has said
before the situation esca- Heaggan-Brown, who is jority African-American had thrown away his gun. that Heaggan-Brown was
lated in the span of a few also black, presented their neighborhood where it But the fatal encounter justified when he fired the
seconds. case that the former offi- happened. Closing argu- happened in the span of first shot, but argues the
“Get back! Get back!” an cer acted in self-defense ments in Heaggan-Brown’s 12 seconds and Heaggan- second shot was unneces-
officer says, and a wom- during his brief encounter trial on charges of first-de- Brown’s attorneys have sary. q