Photo: Getty Images
Newly-released body camera footage shows the Seattle Police Department kept a mock tombstone of a Black man killed by officers in their break room, per Insider.
In the footage, which was obtained as part of an unrelated lawsuit, the mock tombstone can be seen propped up on a shelf in the Seattle Police Department break room. The tombstone reads "Damarius Butts, 19 years" along with the date he was shot and killed by Seattle police: April 20, 2017.
In 2017, Damarius Butts allegedly fled a convenience store robbery, prompting a police chase and shootout. Butts was shot 11 times and three officers were injured in the incident. A jury later determined that the officers' actions followed department policies, and they didn't face charges.
In a statement, the Seattle Police Department said although it does "not know how that item ended up on storage shelving, we have no reason to believe it was placed as a 'trophy' or with any pejorative intent." The department suggested protestors who demonstrated following the 2020 murder of George Floyd may have left the item behind.
"Protesters often placed items such as these commemorating subjects of the use of force locally and nationwide around the precinct," the department said. "It would not be unexpected that items left at the precinct might land on a storage shelf until disposition."
Footage from inside the break room also showed a Trump flag hanging on the wall. According to the SPD, the flag and tombstone have been removed from the precinct.
See the footage here.
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