On Thursday, October 11, after hearing the inquest results that informally vindicated Seattle Police officers Greg Neubert and Craig Price in the shooting death of Aaron Roberts, I headed up to 23rd Avenue and East Union Street, anticipating a protest like the rallies that hit the neighborhood less than 24 hours after the shooting last spring.
But late that afternoon, 23rd and Union was business as usual, with plenty of customers and traffic. No protesters.
“[Residents] haven’t come around and expressed anything, as far as what happened,” says Barbara Hopkins of Richlen’s Super-Mini, the convenience store on the northeast corner of the intersection. “Until the community really finds out what’s going on, I don’t think they’re going to respond to it. Or maybe they’re going to let it rest.”
Despite the lack of outward response to the inquest, many people in the area had strong reactions to the jury’s verdict. But they’re not what you’d expect in this traditionally black neighborhood.
“I’m sure that it will be found that police acted properly,” says Thurston Muskelly, president of the nearby Leschi Community Council, which wrote a letter to the city in support of the Union Street Business Group (USBG) this summer. “We support the police. If we can’t have police protection here, we’d be in bad shape.”
The USBG met on October 16 to hear more on the inquest from a representative from the African American Advisory Council to Police Chief Kerlikowske. Though the meeting was closed and many USBG members choose to stay quiet about their support of the cops, others in the area don’t hesitate to explain their relationship with the police.
“We need [the cops] there to help us out,” says Dejene Berecha of Philly’s Best Steaks and Hoagies, which overlooks the spot where Roberts’ car stopped after he was shot.
“My feeling is that I don’t get in trouble, so police don’t bother me,” says Hopkins, of Richlen’s. “If I need them, I call them, and they’ll come and help.”
However, these strong pro-police feelings aren’t the only sentiments at 23rd and Union.
“I’m speechless,” says a barber at Earl’s Cut & Style, who declined to give his name. “[The verdict] was just a messed-up call.”
Perhaps he’ll be around when the formal decision–whether or not the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s office will file charges against the officers–is made on October 25.
