An Olympia police officer shot two men, sparking protests in Washington’s capital city. (Twitter)
Two unarmed black men were shot by a white Olympia, Washington police officer early Thursday morning.
The men, Andre Thompson and Bryson Chaplin, are in their 20s and are brothers, according to posts on social media. They were both taken to a local hospital and listed in critical condition, police said.
Though the brothers were not armed with a gun or other weapon, police claim that they attacked the officer, Ryan Donald, with a skateboard, according to The Olympian. He approached the brothers because he thought they matched the descriptions of suspects in an earlier shoplifting incident, police said.
Here’s what you need to know about the shooting:
1. They Were Wanted For Trying to Steal Beer From a Store
Andre Thompson, left, and Bryson Chaplin, were shot by an Olympia, Washington police officer (Twitter)
Police said the two men were suspected of trying to steal beer from the Westside Safeway store at about 1 a.m. Thursday. The two men were confronted by store employees and threw the beer at them as they fled, police said.
Officer Ryan Donald found two men matching the suspect’s descriptions a short distance away from the store. A few minutes later he told dispatchers he had been involved in the shooting.
Both men were shot in the chest.
Crystal Chaplin, the mother of the two men who were shot, said she thinks it was a case of mistaken identity and doesn’t believe her sons would shoplift.
“There are a lot of black men around,” Chaplin told The Olympian. “It could have been anybody.”
2. The Officer Said He Was Attacked After He Got Out of His Car
Olympia Police Chief Ronnie Roberts says “the indication” is that officer was assaulted by a skateboard. #Q13FOX http://t.co/ztEXu2BxTY
According to the Q13 Fox, a local news station, police said the officer was attacked with a skateboard before he shot the two men.
Olympia Police Chief Ronnie Roberts told reporters the officer said he was attacked by one of the men as he exited his car. Donald shot the man and the two brothers ran into a nearby wooded area, according to The Olympian newspaper. He then called in that shots had been fired.
Roberts said the two men walked back to the road a short time later and again confronted the officer. Donald then shot the other man multiple times in the torso, Roberts said.
Roberts called the shooting a “tragedy.”
3. The Officer Has Been Put on Administrative Leave
Police said Donald, who has been an officer for three years, has been put on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated, per department policy.
The case is being investigated by the Thurston County Critical Incident Team, which is made up of detectives from five local agencies.
4. The Shooting Has Led to Protests in the City
Demonstrators have moved out of streets into Olympia city hall chanting “black lives matter” #Q13FOX http://t.co/7UFwblLLab
Protesters marched in the streets in Olympia, the state’s capital, and entered city hall.
5. Officials Are Calling for Calm as the Shooting Is Investigated
Bryson Chaplin, left, and his brother, Andre Chaplin Thompson, were shot by a police officer in Olympia, Washington. (Facebook)
The city of Olympia is about 2 percent black, according to the 2010 census, and more than 80 percent white. But Police Chief Ronnie Roberts said at a press conference that he is aware of the sensitivity regarding race relations and officer-involved shootings as a result of incidents across the country.
“Frankly, I’ve spent several hours with my staff discussing some of the challenges going on across this nation,” Roberts said. “We have to be realistic, these are difficult situations,” Roberts said. “I hope the community gives the investigation time to proceed.”
Olympia Mayor Stephen Buxbaum told The Olympian, “It deeply saddens me that we have two young people in the hospital as the result of an altercation with an officer of the law. We are committed to open dialogue where people can gather and share their feelings, show their compassion and stand up for what I think represents our values.”
