Another day, another deadly incident involving a Black Lives Matter “activist.” One police officer in Bothell, Washington, was murdered and another one was injured on Monday night when Black Lives Matter activist Henry E.Washington allegedly opened fire on the two men during a traffic stop.
Officer-in-training Jonathon Shoop, 32 and white, was shot and killed after attempting a traffic stop on Washington’s Pontiac for not displaying any license plates. A brief chase ensued, during which the Pontiac struck a 20-year-old pedestrian on a scooter. Shoop’s training officer — whose name has not been released — was also shot but was released from the hospital on Tuesday.
The pedestrian on the scooter suffered a broken leg, but is expected to make a full recovery.
And, again, as in the case of Jessica Doty-Whitaker in Indianapolis — a 24-year-old white mother who was allegedly killed by BLM supporters — the mainstream media, usually so eager to cover race-based homicides, is curiously absent from the scene. CNN did do a brief report on the incident, but neglected to mention Washington’s close association with Black Lives Matter.
Washington’s Facebook page is filled with several images of drugs, weapons, and wads of cash. There are also several posts alluding to his position as a Black Lives Matter supporter.
Still, little mention of the crime on mainstream media. You already know the reason. Washington’s crimes conflict with the media narrative of the “largely peaceful” Black Lives Matter protesters. To cover this story as it should be covered would bring up too many uncomfortable questions for Anderson Cooper and Don Lemon. So Officer Shoop’s death is ignored — except in the broadest sense, without any allusions to his Black Lives Matter history.
According to an eyewitness, a black man, identified as Washington, rushed Shoop’s police SUV, shouted, “Come on, pig, come on, pig,” and opened fire on Shoop and the other officer, striking Shoop in the head. Shoop’s partner returned fire, but Washington was able to flee the scene on foot.
Washington, 37 from Waco, Texas, was reported to have escaped for a time and hid from police on a roof near the scene of the homicide. Court documents reveal that, while hiding, Washington called the police department in Junction City, Kansas, and admitted to the killing, saying that it was in self-defense. Junction City police said that the caller described hitting the scooter and the rest of the incident, and claimed he was trying to keep his car and marijuana from being confiscated.
Washington is currently being held without possibility of bail pending charges of first-degree murder, first-degree assault, vehicular assault, and attempting to elude police.
“Jonathon was a dedicated officer who served the City of Bothell with professionalism and compassion,” the Bothell Police Department tweeted on Tuesday. “Jonathon was well-liked amongst his peers and throughout the community. Officer Jonathon Shoop will be dearly missed.” He’ll definitely be missed by the fiance and family that he leaves behind.
Washington’s mother, Carolyn Washington, told KOMO News in Seattle that her son was only in the Seattle area for a brief visit, and that he has a history of mental illness. She had this to say to Shoop’s loved ones. “For them to lose their family, their brother, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” She added, “They have my deepest sympathies.”
Washington’s mother believes that mental illness played a part in the murder. “We know my son didn’t intentionally do that,” she said. “We know if he had been in his right mind, he would never have done [anything] like that.”
Perhaps Ms. Washington is right about her son being mentally ill, but the fact of the matter remains that Washington was a Black Lives Matter supporter. In view of current events, that alone should make this national news. Yet, as in the case of Jessica Doty-Whitaker, the respective races of the victim and the perpetrator have more to do with media coverage than do the facts of the case.
So, who exactly are the racists again?
Image: oleksii arseniuk / iStock / Getty Images Plus
James Murphy is a freelance journalist who writes on a variety of subjects. He can be reached at [email protected].
