curated by Vee Hua 華婷婷
A round-up of news and announcements we don’t want to get lost in the fast-churning news cycle!
More police accountability news this week, this time around the Jesse Sarey murder case, where a former Seattle Police chief will testify against an Auburn officer’s use of force. Meanwhile, a man threatened Rep. Pramila Jayapal, and a shooting took place outside of Washington Hall.
Those who are looking to find summer events to attend this weekend might find themselves at Northwest Immigrant Rights Project’s Summer Social or at Daybreak Star for the Seafair Indian Days Powwow. Paid opportunities are also available for youth interested in learning web design or social media; applications close soon.
—Vee Hua 華婷婷, interim managing editor for the South Seattle Emerald
✨Gleaming This Week✨
Former Seattle Police Chief to Be Key Witness Jesse Sarey Murder Case; Finds Use of Force Violations in Review of Officer’s Actions
As reported by The Seattle Times, former interim Seattle Police Chief Jim Pugel will be a key witness in the murder and assault prosecution case of Auburn police officer Jeffrey Nelson, who shot and killed Jesse Sarey, 26, on May 31, 2019. Nelson had responded to a call about disorderly conduct at an Auburn convenience store; when he arrived, he confronted Sarey; the two got in a physical altercation, and Nelson said that Sarey tried to grab the officer’s folding knife and gun.
In 2020, Nelson was charged with second-degree murder and first-degree assault; he was only the third officer to be indicted for taking the life of a civilian in Washington State history, the first in 30 years, and the first under I-940, Police Training and Criminal Liability in Cases of Deadly Force Measure, passed in 2018. Trial is set for next year, in The State of Washington v. Jeffrey Nelson.
At the request of the King County Prosecutor’s Office, Pugel, who is a former police educator on use of force, reviewed 70 Auburn Police Department (APD) incident reports related to Nelson, dating back to 2013, including force reports, witness accounts, and dash-cam videos. Pugel then prepared a 20-page report; it graphically cites 17 use-of-force instances within the APD that Pugel deemed “at best unnecessary and often excessive or unconstitutional.”
See all of the South Seattle Emerald’s coverage on Jesse Sarey, including an Op-Ed by his foster mother.
Local Man Threatens Rep. Pramila Jayapal Outside of Her Home
A man threatened State Rep. Pramila Jayapal