Police Shoot Unarmed Men Suspected of Stealing Beer

Olympia, Washington, sees protests in the aftermath
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted May 22, 2015 1:09 PM CDT
Police Clash With Protesters Over Shooting in Washington State
People hold signs and listen to speakers Thursday during a rally at a park in Olympia, Wash.   (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

The latest outpouring of community anger over a police shooting is taking place in Olympia, Washington, where two unarmed black stepbrothers were shot by a white officer after the shoplifting of beer. Both are hospitalized but expected to live. Hundreds marched peacefully from a park to city hall yesterday evening, reports AP. Late last night, however, a smaller, more aggressive group of protesters clad in black bandanas took to the streets, reports the Seattle Times. "After they made several rounds through downtown Olympia—the state’s capital and home to the Evergreen State College—officers fired flash-bangs and briefly clashed with marchers, who numbered several dozen, breaking up the demonstration," says the newspaper.

The shooting of Bryson Tyler Chaplin, 21, and Andre Damon Thompson, 24, took place about 1am yesterday after police responded to a call from Safeway employees who said two men were stealing beer. According to the police account, officer Ryan Donald chased the suspects and opened fire after one of them assaulted with him with a skateboard. "They're very aggressive, just so you know," he told the dispatcher. Donald, who is on administrative leave as the investigation unfolds, wasn't injured. The Stranger website takes note of the earlier, peaceful march: "The police here have kept a very low profile during the protest. No riot gear, nothing; they were almost invisible. These might be the lessons learned from Ferguson." (More police shooting stories.)

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