Seattle, WA
Seattle police chief addresses ‘mock tombstone’ of slain Black man displayed at local precinct
‘Mock tombstone’ of Black man killed by Seattle Police sparks outrage
Body camera video recorded on Jan. 2021 showed a glimpse of a ‘mock tombstone’ marking the date 19-year-old Damarius Butts was shot and killed by Seattle Police, propped up on a shelf in the east precinct’s bicycle repair room. The video also showed a Trump 2020 flag and what appeared to be a MAGA hat.
SEATTLE – A mother is outraged after a ‘mock tombstone’ with her son’s name and date of death was displayed inside Seattle Police Department’s east precinct, along with a Trump flag and MAGA hat.
The item was seen in police body camera video recorded in 2021. The footage was recently released to the public in connection to an unrelated lawsuit against Seattle Police.
Stefanie Butts is the mother of Damarius Butts, a 19-year-old Black man. Butts and Police Chief Adrian Diaz both appeared virtually during a meeting with the Community Police Commission to discuss the display found inside the east precinct.
“When I first heard SPD displayed a fake tombstone with my son’s name on it, I was shocked. I cannot explain the pain and the anger that I felt. It was very hurtful to know that SPD joked about killing my son,” said Stefanie Butts.
Damarius was shot and killed by police during a shootout in April 2017, after he was suspected of an armed robbery downtown. Three officers were also shot in the crossfire, two of them were seriously hurt. Officials said all officers recovered from their injuries.
In a March 2022 inquest hearing, a jury unanimously ruled the officers were justified in the 2017 shooting.
Inquest jury: 2017 Seattle police shooting of Damarius Butts was ‘justified’
Body camera video recorded in January 2021 showed a glimpse of a mock tombstone marking Damarius’ name and day of death, propped up on a shelf in the east precinct’s bicycle repair room. The video also showed a Trump 2020 flag and what appeared to be a MAGA hat.
“I was disturbed by the disrespect it showed to the Butts Family,” said Adrian Leavitt, an attorney with the King County Department of Public Defense who represented the Butts family during the inquest hearing.
“It shows they don’t care. It’s like her son wasn’t human,” said Victoria Beach, chair of the African American Community Advisory Council for SPD.
Officials said the tombstone was likely used during Black Lives Matter demonstrations to remember the lives lost at the hands of police. Damarius’ mother asked how officers got hold of it and why it was displayed.
“I want to know why this happened, I want to know why it was allowed to continue. I want to know if anyone has been held accountable. I want to know what is being done, so it never happens again,” said Butts.
“That is the reason why were are working with the Office of Police Accountability to get those answers, to see who needs to be held accountable for the display of that,” said Diaz.
The police chief said the mock tombstone is no longer displayed at the east precinct. He assured all precincts were checked for any items that could cause harm and hostility.
“I’ve talked with community members about this hurt, and I’ve talked with officers. They’re embarrassed and expressed that they can’t have this. It’s unacceptable,” said Diaz.
The police chief said investigating and disciplining those responsible for the mock tombstone could be a challenge. He explained more than 575 officers have left the department in the past three years, many from the east precinct. Diaz said the department is reviewing policy, and will continue implementing measures to eliminate bias.
Though Beach is chair of the police department’s African American Community Advisory Council, she attended Wednesday’s CPC meeting as a private citizen. She said this case raises questions about how officers serve people of color and marginalized communities in Seattle.
“I hear so much about racism in that department from officers,” said Beach.
Investigation underway after mock tombstone of Black man killed by SPD officer seen in East Precinct
Beach said trust between community and police is eroding. She said she hopes answers in this incident come soon to help repair the disconnect.
“People know. They know who did it. There’s enough of them. I just want to say to all the officers out there that knew about it—have some integrity, have some guts and come forward and speak out. That’s the only way we’re going to change. Call them out,” said Beach.