The mother of a teenage boy shot dead in Seattle’s CHOP autonomous zone says the ‘summer of love’ hailed by city mayor Jenny Durkan became ‘a summer of blood.’
Donnitta Sinclair launched a furious attack on Durkan, as well as Seattle’s Emergency Services, Police Department, City Council and the State of Washington over her 19 year-old son Horace Lorenzo Anderson’s murder in CHOP in 2020.
Speaking in a federal lawsuit filed against Durkan and multiple official agencies last month, Sinclair says: ‘Considering the more than adequate knowledge of the danger and violence associated with the CHOP area, Seattle leaders failed Lorenzo and the community.
‘The “summer of love” predictably became the “summer of blood.”
‘Only after the preventable death of Lorenzo and others did Mayor Durkan finally announce Seattle would take back “CHOP”.’
19-year-old Horace Lorenzo Anderson (pictured) died after he was shot four times within Seattle’s CHOP zone last summer
Anderson was shot dead while visiting CHOP in the early hours of June 20, after a trip to the police-free zone which allegedly saw him clash with Marcel Long.
Long is said to have been held back by friends after he and Anderson exchanged words, and allegedly shot his rival dead minutes later.
The suspected murderer fled the scene shortly afterwards, and is yet to be apprehended.
The federal civil rights lawsuit, filed on behalf of the Lorenzo Anderson Estate, alleges that Seattle Police Department, Seattle Emergency Medical Services, and Seattle city officials were negligent and ‘breached the duty of reasonable care’ in failing to care for Anderson after he was shot four times within the CHOP area.
The suit claims that Seattle Police and Seattle Fire responders were only two blocks away from where Anderson lay bleeding after being shot but ‘failed to assist because of botched communication between the two city agencies and lack of sufficient planning and preparation.’
‘Lorenzo Andersons death was both preventable and predictable’ Evan Oshan, the attorney representing the Anderson’s estate said.
Horace Lorenzo Anderson, 19, was killed last June during the Black Lives Matter protest (pictured) in the wake of the George Floyd murder
Bodycam footage released by the Seattle Police Department shows several officers enter the CHOP zone to reach Anderson as protestors yell at them to put their guns down
At 2:19 am on June 20, 2020 Anderson was shot four times within the CHOP zone, also known as the CHAZ (Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone) by 18-year-old Marcel Long who was aware that the area was a ‘no-cop zone,’ according to the suit.
911 was called immediately by civilians who were attempting to treat Anderson and pleading with medics to rush to Anderson’s aide, the Seattle Times reported.
By 2:29am ambulances and fire vehicles sat a block and a half way waiting for police clearance to enter the CHOP zone and were told to wait for police officials to give them the all clear to enter.
In the 20 minutes it took for first responders to finally reach a dying Anderson, police, EMS and fire responders miscommunicated locations and procedures to provide Anderson medical attention, the suit alleges.
Donnitta Sinclair (pictured) filed the wrongful death suit on behalf of her deceased 19-year-old son Horace Lorenzo Anderson, who was killed during last summer’s Black Lives Matter protest in the wake of the George Floyd murder
By 2:39 am police moved into the CHOP zone and at 2:45 am Anderson was pronounced dead at a local hospital he was brought to by civilians.
The suit says that Seattle EMT was less than a minute away as Anderson bled out and Seattle Police were less than 5 minutes away.
‘Essentially Lorenzo (Anderson) was left to die’ the claim says.
After the shooting, Seattle Police Department released a statement that said they were met with a violent crowd that prevented officers safe access Anderson and bodycam footage that showing several officers enter the CHOP zone as protestors yelling at them to put their guns down.
By the time officers entered the CHOP zone, Anderson had already be transported to a local hospital by a civilian.
Autopsy reports revealed that although Anderson suffered multiple gunshot sounds, none appeared to hit major organs.
‘The people and institutions we entrust to protect public safety must not be rewarded for their incompetence, indifference and inaction leading to the wrongful death of citizens,’ Attorney Evan Oshan said in a statement. ‘They need to be held accountable for their contemptible conduct that encouraged lawlessness to reign. Justice will reign and the negligent governmental actions will be held accountable.’
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
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