YESTERDAY, WE REPORTED ON A 30-YEAR-OLD WOMAN BY THE NAME OF
CHARLEENA LYLES, WHO HAD A MENTAL ILLNESS, AND
UNFORTUNATELY
CALLED POLICE INDIVIDUALS TO REPORT A BURGLARY, AND THEN WAS
SOUGHT BY THE TWO SEATTLE OFFICERS WHO SHOWED UP AT
THE SCENE.
THE OFFICERS SAID THAT SHE WAS HOLDING A KNIFE AND THEY
FELT THREATENED.
JUST TO BE CLEAR, I THINK SHE DIDN'T HAVE THE KNIFE WHEN
THEY GOT THERE, SHE WENT AND GOT THE KNIFE.
YEAH, SO ñ YES, AND WE ARE GOING TO GET TO THAT IN JUST A
SECOND, BECAUSE THE SLACK ñ
BECAUSE THE SEATTLE PLEASE DEPARTMENT, IN AN EFFORT TO BE
TRANSPARENT ABOUT THIS CASE, HAS RELEASED AUDIO OF THE SITUATION,
AND IT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF WHAT THAT SCENE WAS LIKE.
NOW, JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME MORE CONTEXT BEFORE WE GO TO THE
AUDIO; "THE RECORDING, CAPTURED BY MICROPHONES LINKED WIRELESSLY
TO THE DASHBOARD VIDEO SYSTEM IN THE OFFICERS PATROL CAR, WAS
PUBLICLY RELEASED IN THE INTEREST OF MAINTAINING
TRANSPARENCY IN THE INVESTIGATION OF SUNDAY'S
SHOOTING, AND THAT IS ACCORDING TO A STATEMENT FROM THE
SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT."
KEEP IN MIND THAT LYLES HAD FOUR CHILDREN, AND WAS EXPECTING
A FIFTH, MEANING SHE WAS PREGNANT AT THE TIME OF THE
SHOOTING, AND AGAIN SHE DID LOSE HER LIFE.
NOW, THE AUDIO IS FIVE MINUTES LONG SO WE CANNOT PLAY THE
FULL THING, BUT WE DO RECOMMEND THAT YOU LISTEN TO THE FULL
AUDIO, AND WE WILL INCLUDE A LINK IN THE DESCRIPTOR BELOW.
THE SENATE ñ THE SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT RELEASE A STATEMENT
ON ITS WEBSITE ALONG WITH THE AUDIO RECORDING, AND SAID THAT
TWO OFFICERS WERE SENT ON SUNDAY TO RESPOND REPORT OF A BURGLARY,
BECAUSE OF ñ INSTEAD OF THE TYPICAL ONE.
WHY I MENTIONING THAT?
BEFORE THIS ENCOUNTER WITH A COP SHE HAD ANOTHER ENCOUNTER WITH
THE COPS WHERE SHE HAD A BIT OF AN EPISODE.
SHE BECAME PARANOID, SHE HAD A PAIR OF SCISSORS IN HER HAND,
AND ACCUSE THE COPS OF BEING PART OF THE KKK AND COMING
AFTER HER.
SO, CLEARLY THERE'S SOME SORT OF MENTAL CONDITION GOING ON,
AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS AWARE OF THAT, AND THE
RESPONDING OFFICIALS WERE ALSO AWARE OF THAT.
IN FACT, IN THE AUDIO THEY ARE HEARD AS SAYING, "SHE LET
THEM IN, THEN SHE STARTED TALKING ALL CRAZY ABOUT HOW
THE OFFICERS WEREN'T GOING TO LEAVE.
THIS GAL, SHE'S THE ONE MAKING ALL THESE WEIRD STATEMENTS
ABOUT HOW HER AND HER DAUGHTER ARE GOING TO TURN INTO WOLVES."
SO THAT WAS SAID IN THE AUDIO BY THE TWO COPS WHO WERE
INVOLVED IN THE SHOOTING.
SO, THE REASON I MENTIONING THAT IS BECAUSE THEY WERE AWARE
THAT SHE HAD SOME SORT OF MENTAL CONDITION.
NOW, WITH THAT SAID, HERE IS THE PART OF THE AUDIO WHERE THE
SHOOTING HAPPENED.
SHE SAID AN XBOX WAS TAKEN.
[INAUDIBLE]
GET BACK, GET BACK.
[INAUDIBLE]
STAY BACK!
[INAUDIBLE]
WE NEED HELP [INAUDIBLE]
HEY, GET BACK, GET BACK!
SO, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S NO VIDEO TO A COMPANY THAT AUDIO,
BUT THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF TRAINING THERE IS WITH
THIS POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THOSE WHO HAVE MENTAL
CONDITIONS, THE POLICE HAVE SAID THAT BOTH OFFICERS WERE
EQUIPPED WITH LESS LETHAL FORCE OPTIONS, AND UNFORTUNATELY
IT ENDED WITH THEM USING FATAL FORCE AND KILLING HER.
THEY KNEW SHE HAD A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION.
THEY DID, YES.
YOU SHOWED US THAT, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT WAS MEANT TO
BE MORE DERISIVE THEN, THIS IS A CLUE WE SHOULD FOLLOW.
PERHAPS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED MORE DIFFERENTLY.
I DON'T KNOW, MAN.
I AM, AGAIN, KEENLY AWARE THAT THESE ARE TWO POLICE OFFICERS
WHO ARE CONFRONTED WITH A PERSON WITH A KNIFE, SO, I ñ YOU KNOW,
THEY ARE EITHER NOT GOING TO BE CHARGED, OR IF THEY ARE CHARGED
THEY ARE GOING TO BE ACQUITTED, AND I KNOW, AND I HAVE READ
STORIES ABOUT HOW QUICKLY SOMEONE CAN COVER A LOT OF
GROUND WITH A KNIFE.
I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT TWO POLICE OFFICERS
COULDN'T DISABLE A KNIFE, BUT I DON'T KNOW, I'M NOT A COP,
AND I KNOW COPS ARE GOING TO ROLL THEIR EYES, SO I DON'T
KNOW AND I WASN'T THERE.
WE NEED MORE INFORMATION, AND EVERYBODY SHOULD BUBBLE BE SHUT
UP UNTIL WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION, BUT, I STILL DON'T
UNDERSTAND.
I KNOW THAT WHEN YOU ARE TRAINED AS A POLICE OFFICER IN THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND I THINK IN EVERY JURISDICTION
IF YOU USE LETHAL FORCE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO USE LETHAL
FORCE TO KILL.
RIGHT, YOU ARE NEVER SUPPOSED TO SHOOT SOMEBODY IN THE LEG,
ESPECIALLY IF SOMEBODY HAS A GUN, BECAUSE IF YOU SHOOT THEM
IN THE LEG THEY CAN STILL SHOOT YOU WITH THEIR GUN.
THAT HAS TRANSLATED OVER TO KNIVES, ALSO?
YOU KNOW, LOGIC TELLS ME THAT, WHY?
I UNDERSTAND, BY THE WAY, YOU CAN SHOOT SOMEBODY IN THE LEG
AND STILL KILL THEM, I GET IT, BUT NOT USUALLY.
SO, AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO, ARE WE SURE WE'RE DOING
EVERYTHING RIGHT?
ARE WE 100% POSITIVE THAT POLICE TRAINING IN THE YEAR 2017,
FOR HANDLING PEOPLE AT THEIR WORST MOMENTS, ARE WE
POSITIVE THAT WE'RE DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY?
IF WE'RE POSITIVE THAT WE ARE DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY, IF WE,
AS PRESIDENT OBAMA SAID WE WERE GOING TO DO, IF WE WERE GOING
TO PUT THE BEST POLICING MINDS INVOLVED WITH PEOPLE INVOLVED
WITH AT-RISK COMMUNITIES, AND PUT THEM TOGETHER, THE
SMARTEST PEOPLE, AND TALK IT OUT ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE
IT, AND IF WE CAME OUT WITH THE EXACT SAME SOLUTION, OKAY.
BUT THAT WE AREN'T HANDLING IT IN THE BEST WAY.
I BET THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS TO HANDLE IT THAT WOULD REDUCE
THESE THINGS HAPPENING, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST HER FAMILY NOW,
AND THE KIDS, THE THREE KIDS WHO WERE IN THE GOD DAMN HOUSE, MAN.
IT'S NOT JUST ñ HER LIFE IS OVER, HER FAMILY'S LIFE IS
CHANGED FOREVER, AND THOSE KIDS LIVES.
SHE WAS PREGNANT.
SO, IT'S NOT JUST THAT THAT WAS RUINED, IT HAS A DAMAGING EFFECT
ON THE PSYCHE IN SEATTLE, AND IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, AND FOR
ALL OF US, TO GET THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN, AND TO START
THEM ñ TO SUDDENLY START FEELING, WHEN I WAS GROWING UP,
I WAS TAUGHT TO BELIEVE POLICE, THEY CAME TO OUR SCHOOLS,
THEY WERE THE GOOD GUYS.
THERE IS DAMAGE WHEN WE STOP THINKING THAT.
AND FOR SOME, THEY STOP THINKING THAT A LONG TIME AGO, AND THEY
ARE NOT THE GOOD GUYS, AND I GET THAT, I HAVE AN HONEST PRIVILEGE
TO WHERE, AS A WHITE MALE, ANYTIME A CAPACITY TO DO
SOMETHING I DO IT AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM, AND MY RUN-INS
WITH COPS HAVE BEEN NEGLIGIBLE.
WHEN I GET PULLED OVER, YOU KNOW, WE ARE JOKING AT THE
END, YOU KNOW?
BUT IT HAS AN EFFECT ON ALL OF OUR PSYCHES, AND IT HAS ON
BLACK PEOPLE SINCE THE 18TH CENTURY, SO LET'S ñ
IT'S POSSIBLE WE ARE DOING IT WRONG.
IT IS POSSIBLE THAT IT IS OKAY TO TRY TO SHOOT SOMEBODY IN
THE LEG WHO HAS A KNIFE, WHO YOU THINK IS A RISK, BECAUSE
THEY ARE NOT GOING TO KILL YOU WITH THE KNIFE IF YOU SHOOT
THEM IN THE LEG, AND SHE WOULD BE ALIVE TODAY.
I DON'T KNOW, AND I'M NOT AUTHORITY, BUT MAN I WANT
AUTHORITIES TO GET TOGETHER, AND I WANT THAT CONVERSATION BROOKS,
BECAUSE THAT ñ BECAUSE THEIR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TO IT IS
ALWAYS, IF YOU JUST ñ IF YOU DRAW YOUR WEAPON, AND IT IS
SERIOUS ENOUGH TO DISCHARGE, YOU DISCHARGED TO KILL.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A COPPERHEAD SIEVE APPROACH, BECAUSE
RIGHT NOW IN SOCIETY WE HAVE A DANGEROUS COCKTAIL THAT
LEADS TO THESE TYPES OF ENCOUNTERS WITH COPS.
WE HAVE ISSUES WITH HEALTHCARE IN GENERAL, BUT MENTAL
HEALTH CARE?
JUST LIVING IN LOS ANGELES, AND OF COURSE THIS IS ANECDOTAL
EVIDENCE, BUT I KNOW THAT, ON A BROADER LEVEL, THIS IS A
BIG ISSUE.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING IN THE STREETS BECAUSE OF
THE FACT THAT THEY HAD UNTREATED MENTAL CONDITIONS, AND YOU
SEE IT, DAY IN AND DAY OUT, AND PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD TO TAKE
CARE OF THEMSELVES PHYSICALLY RIGHT NOW, AND MENTAL
HEALTH CARE IS NEVER A PRIORITY IN THE UNITED STATES, UNTIL
THERE IS A MASS SHOOTING, AND PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR A
SCAPEGOAT SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO TALK ABOUT GUN LEGISLATION.
BUT MENTAL HEALTH CARE IS SOMETHING THAT WE 100%
HAVE TO ADDRESS IN THE COUNTRY, BUT WE DON'T.
SO WE DON'T ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH CARE, PEOPLE GO
UNTREATED.
WE HAVE AN ISSUE WITH COPS WHO ARE JUSTIFIED IN BEING
PARANOID, BECAUSE WE ARE ASSUMING IN A SEA OF GUNS,
AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT THERE IS A LACK OF TRAINING, IN TERMS
OF DEALING WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
AND SO THIS COCKTAIL LEADS TO THESE TYPES OF STORIES THAT
WE SEE DAY IN AND DAY OUT, AND THEY ARE STORIES THAT WE
DON'T EVEN REPORT ON, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE LITERALLY THE ONLY
THING THAT WE TALK ABOUT ON THE SHOW IF WE WERE TO TALK
ABOUT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.
I KNOW THERE ARE SOLUTIONS, I KNOW THEY ARE NOT ACTUALLY
TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
INSTEAD OF GETTING DEFENSIVE, I DON'T KNOW, I FEEL LIKE IT WOULD
BE MORE HELPFUL IF PEOPLE CONSIDER POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS, AND
ACTUALLY WORK TOWARD, YOU KNOW, IMPROVING THE CONDITIONS
THAT AMERICANS ARE WORKING UNDER, BUT THAT DOESN'T
SEEM LIKE IT IS THE CASE.
THERE IS THIS RIDICULOUS, WEIRD PUSHBACK, AS IF EVERY SINGLE COP
IS PERFECT AND DOES THEIR JOB PERFECTLY AT 100% OF THE TIME.
NO OTHER PROFESSION GETS THAT KIND OF TREATMENT, BUT FOR SOME
REASON WITH COPS IT IS LIKE, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CRITICIZE
THEM, THEY HAVE HARD JOB SO THEY GET TO SHOW AHEAD AND SHOOT
ANYONE THEY WANT AND YOU DON'T GET TO CRITICIZE THEM FOR IT.
ALONZO WAS HERE ON FRIDAY AND HE JUST SAID, PAY THEM MORE AND
MAKE THEM GO TO COLLEGE.
AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS A BOARD TO BRING UP, BECAUSE IT
BECOMES A DIFFERENT JOB.
I'M NOT SAYING THERE AREN'T SMART COPS, I KNOW SOME COPS AND
THEY ARE SUPERSMART, SO, SO I'M NOT SAYING THEY AREN'T, BUT THAT
WOULD BE A START.
IT'S NOT A JOB YOU SETTLE IN, IT SHOULD BE A JOB YOU ASPIRE TO;
IT'S ONE OF THE HARDEST JOBS IN THE WORLD, AND THEY SHOULD BE
PAID WELL, AND THEY SHOULD GIVEN TIME OFF, BECAUSE IT IS
ENORMOUSLY STRESSFUL, BECAUSE THEY ARE EXPOSED TO PEOPLE
AT THEIR WORST, EVERY SINGLE DAY, THE COPS ARE,
ESPECIALLY IN CITIES LIKE LOS ANGELES.
PAY THEM MORE, AND HAVE THEM GO TO COLLEGE, WHERE, AS ALONZO
SAID, THEY ARE EXPOSED TO OTHER PEOPLE.
THERE ARE ALREADY JURISDICTION THAT DO THAT.