Outcry after SPD gives 'tone deaf' Charleena Lyles briefing through video game recording

Seattle Police Department is getting major blowback on social media from a video posting in which a spokesman explained the Charleena Lyles case while recording a video game.

SPD’s media unit started a channel on Twitch – a video game platform where players can talk to each other while playing – in November.

Sargent Sean Whitcomb and others from his unit have been using the service to reach out to younger communities and talk to them about what police are doing. Most recently, he used Twitch to talk about the police shooting of Lyles.

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Lyles called police Sunday morning to report a burglary that included the theft of an Xbox.
An audio recording indicates two officers spent about two minutes calmly speaking with Lyles, who later armed herself with two kitchen knives and told police, "Get ready, motherf---ers."

>> Related: Q&A answers questions about shooting death of Charleena Lyles

In the wake of Lyles’ death, Family members and Seattle activists question why police didn't use non-lethal options when they knew Lyles had been struggling with mental health issues. Lyles was pregnant at the time of shooting and is survived by four children. Three were present when she was shot.

The Twitch episode about Lyles has since been removed from Twitch and YouTube, and GeekWire reports that SPD is ending its use of its Twitch channel as a forum.

"Any time there is a crisis in trust and damage to community relationships, that is the wrong time to shut down, but a time to engage and a time to listen," Whitcomb told GeekWire Friday morning. "We're certainly listening and hearing what people have said on other social platforms about this feed, so that is one reason why we are suspending it. Any good that can come of this would be neutralized by any additional pain it might cause."

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Whitcomb told KIRO Radio he used the platform before to talk about other controversial issues, including other officer-involved shootings. In any other week on the now-shut-down channel, the game conversations were about current events.

>> Related: Lyles brandished shears in past police encounter 

The conversation in Wednesday’s Twitch video was intended to provide a summary of information to date regarding the shooting of Lyles.

SPD’s channel “FuzzFeed206” plays a first-person shooter game called “Destiny.” During the episode about Lyles’ shooting, Whitcomb’s character in the game did not engage in play and just walked around; but the character had a large gun strapped to its back.

After the department posted the video on Twitter, it caused outcry and confusion, with some calling it tone deaf and insensitive.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

·        Transcripts show conversation before Charleena Lyles was shot: 'I don't have a taser'

·        Memorial grows where armed woman was shot by police; rallies planned

·        Seattle police shooting kills armed 30-year-old woman; read both sides here

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