A veteran Seattle cop has been suspended after he allegedly posted an offensive meme following the death of a woman killed when she was mo...
A veteran Seattle cop has been suspended after he allegedly posted an offensive meme following the death of a woman killed when she was mowed down by a car during a Black Lives Matter protest this weekend.
Detective Mike Brown, who's been a cop for 40 years and is cousin of Washington State Governor Jay Inslee, was alleged to have posted an 'All Lives Splatter' meme on Facebook after the incident early Saturday.
The social media post, which has since been taken down, also showed a person being struck by a truck and warns people to keep 'off the road.' No direct mention of the woman who died, Summer Taylor, is made.
According to police, Taylor, 24, died when she was struck by a car cops said was driven by Dawit Kelete, 27, about 1.40am Saturday. Diaz Love, 32, of Portland Oregon, who also was struck, was seriously injured and remains hospitalized.
Seattle Detective Mike Brown was alleged to have posted an 'All Lives Splatter' meme on Facebook after the death of a woman killed when she was mowed down by a car during a Black Lives Matter protest
The social media post, which has since been taken down, also showed a person being struck by a truck and warns people to keep 'off the road.' No direct mention of the woman who died, Summer Taylor, is made. Picture is an image of the post made by KIRO7
Summer Taylor (left), 24, a veterinary clinic worker, suffered critical injuries and died Saturday night. Diaz Love (right), 32, from Portland, Oregon, was hospitalized in serious condition
Brown was suspended after the social media post surfaced after the incident and remains under investigation, King County Sheriff Mitzi G. Johanknecht told the Washington Post.
Taylor, a veterinary clininc worker and activist, was mourned by family members during a tearful news conference that followed her death.
Her relatives also blasted Brown for the alleged offensive meme and anyone else who may have contributed to the controversial social media post.
'I didn't want to see that,' Taylor's father Matt told the Seattle Times, making reference to the meme and Brown.
'That guy needs to be fired now,' the father charged.
'I think anybody who was liking (the meme), sharing it or doing anything else with it should be fired,' the father added. 'I think that's beyond obvious. It's disgusting and it's unfathomable to me.'
Governor Inslee admitted his familial relationship to Brown in a tweet where he also condemned the post.
Governor Inslee admitted his familial relationship to Brown in a tweet where he also condemned the post
'I'm deeply disappointed and totally reject the language of my cousin Mike Brown who made inflammatory comments about recent protests,' wrote Inslee.
'The language is unacceptable and just flat wrong, particularly from a law enforcement officer, as we try to heal the divisions of our community.'
Dawit Kelete (pictured), 27, has been charged with vehicular homicide
The death of Taylor comes as a number of motorists have plowed their vehicles into Black Lives Matter protesters across the country.
Kelete was arrested on felony charges of vehicular homicide, vehicular assault and reckless driving for allegedly striking Taylor and Love while driving on Interstate 5, which at the time was closed for Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
Authorities said Kelete drove around vehicles that were parked on the highway to protect the protesters.
Taylor suffered critical injuries and died Saturday night. Prosecutors said Love suffered multiple leg and arm fractures and internal injuries. In a note posted on Facebook late Sunday, Love reported being 'alive and stable'.
'In a lot of pain. I cannot believe Summer was murdered,' the post said. 'If they thought this murder would make us back down, they are very wrong. Very wrong.'
Kelete's lawyer, John Henry Browne, said his client did not intentionally hit the protesters. He said the crash was a 'horrible, horrible accident'.
'There's absolutely nothing political about this case whatsoever,' Browne said. 'My client is in tears. He´s very remorseful. He feels tremendous guilt.'
Kelete appeared in court on Monday wearing handcuffs chained to his waist. During his only court appearance, the judge prohibited photographers from taking pictures of his face because he had not yet been charged
Prosecutors said Love (pictured in the hospital) suffered multiple leg and arm fractures and internal injuries and remains hospitalized
Kelete is originally from Eritrea, in northeastern Africa, and is a US citizen, Browne said. He lives with his parents in Seattle, and they're very religious, he said.
During his only court appearance, the judge prohibited photographers from taking pictures of his face because he had not yet been charged.
A message seeking comment from Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County said they have no comment on the charges.
Kelete was the owner of the Jaguar XJL and was alone in the car, according to the state patrol.
A security camera on the REI building captured Kelete's car driving the wrong way up the Stewart Street I-5 exit ramp, past numerous warning signs that said 'Wrong Way,' according to the charging document.
Since it was an exit ramp, 'a driver must make a deliberate and sharp right U-turn in order to drive southbound on I-5,' the document said.
Kelete drove (the car above) around vehicles that were parked on Interstate 5 to protect the protesters, hitting two people at about 1.40am Saturday, according to the Washington State Patrol
Taylor and Love are seen being put into ambulances by first responders after they were hit by the car on Interstate 5
He was traveling at freeway speeds when he first noticed the demonstrators, the document said.
The protesters screamed and scattered as the car approached. A graphic video shows the vehicle approaching at a high rate of speed.
It appeared to swerve slightly as it came toward two people still in the road. The car slid sideways as it hit the two protesters, sending them into the air.
'The defendant stopped several hundred yards from the scene,' prosecutors said.
'He was approached by witnesses who yelled at him to exit the vehicle. After the witness began hitting and pushing his vehicle, the defendant drove away at a high speed,' prosecutors said.
Emergency personnel work at the site where a driver sped through a protest-related closure on the Interstate 5 freeway in Seattle, authorities said early Saturday
Kelete's lawyer, John Henry Browne (pictured), said his client did not intentionally hit the protesters. He said the crash was a 'horrible, horrible accident'
He was followed by one of the protesters, who was able to stop Kelete's car by driving in front of him until state troopers arrived.
Kelete agreed to take a field sobriety test for drugs and alcohol. The tests showed he was not impaired, the state patrol said.
'The driver was reserved and appeared sullen throughout his time in custody,' Trooper James McGuire wrote in the arrest report. 'At one point he asked if the injured pedestrians were okay.'
Seattle has been the site of prolonged unrest following the May police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which sparked nationwide protests.
The state patrol had closed a section of I-5 for 19 days in a row because of the protesters, troopers said.
Going forward, officials said they won't allow protesters to enter I-5 and will arrest pedestrians on the freeway.
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