Neighbors, friends protest police violence in Winooski

WINOOSKI -- Around 40 people gathered Friday evening at the bottom of the roundabout in the center of town to protest the death of Jesse Beshaw at the hands of a police officer and to call for reforms to address police violence.

Some of the gathered protesters were friends of Beshaw. Some were neighbors who had heard the seven shots that killed Beshaw ring out and watched the events unfold from their windows. Some came because they were passionate about policing reform.

They held signs and chanted. Between chants, they stood quietly facing rush hour traffic, holding their signs and cheering when passing drivers honked in support.

"Jesse was a friend of mine," said Chris Sordiff, who stood at the front of the cluster of people holding a sign calling for the release of the footage from police body cameras. "He didn't deserve to go out like this."

Sordiff said he wanted to see justice for his friend.

"He was murdered," he said.

Beshaw, 29, was killed on Sept. 16 a few blocks from where the protesters stood. He was shot six times by Franklin County Sheriff's Deputy Nicholas Palmier after a foot pursuit. A seventh shot grazed him. State police said that Beshaw was unarmed, but that he was known to carry a handgun and was advancing on Palmier with his hand behind his back.

The Vermont State Police is investigating the incident.

Rachel Siegel, the executive director of Burlington's Peace and Justice Center, helped Beshaw's family organize the event. Siegel, acting as an unofficial spokeswoman for the family, said they were upset about Beshaw's death and confused about why he had to be shot seven times.

"We are not going to accept police violence," she said. She added the family wanted to see the footage from the body cameras worn by Palmier and the Winooski police officers involved in the chase.

The Vermont State Police has denied a Burlington Free Press records request for the footage, citing an ongoing investigation. The Free Press is appealing the decision.

Beshaw was shot on the same day as Terence Crutcher in Tulsa, Okla. Tulsa police have released footage from the incident.

Holding a Black Lives Matter sign, Jas Wheeler said she sees Beshaw's shooting as tying into the larger national conversation about policing.

"As a black person living in Vermont," she said, "I just feel this pull to be here, because Jesse's life matters."

Jay Diaz, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont, said police violence is an ongoing issue in the state. His group regularly receives complaints from Vermonters about police conduct, including instances when police pulled their guns out or were rough with people.

The ACLU-VT would like to see police begin reporting when they use force, including using restraining holds and other non-lethal methods. Right now, police are only required to report when they use Tasers.

"When it comes to police and use of force, it's a black box," he said.

His group would also like to see police departments implement better use-of-force policies, and said that the ACLU of Vermont would be making that a priority in the near future. Too many of Vermont's use-of-force policies are vague, he said.

Diaz cited a study done by Campaign Zero, a Black Lives Matter-linked activist group that wants to end police killings, that reviewed the use-of-force policies of 91 of America's 100 largest cities' police departments.

The study found that having a use-of-force policy that includes requiring de-escalation, restricting chokeholds, requiring officers to give a verbal warning, requiring officers to intervene to stop another officer from using excessive force among other initiatives can significantly reduce the number of people killed by police.

The Winooski Police Department has a "response to active resistance" policy. Under the policy, officers who use force to respond to resistance must fill out forms and supervisors in the department must conduct prompt investigations. The policy also says officers should warn subjects prior to using deadly force.

The department that currently employs Palmier, the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, said they had a use-of-force policy, but said the Burlington Free Press must file a public records request to obtain a copy.

Two Vermont State troopers watched the peaceful protest from cars parked down the street. Lt. Garry Scott, who commands the Williston barracks, said he was there because of the protest.

"I just want to make sure nobody gets hit by a car," he said.

On the other side of the roundabout, Sgt. Michael Cram of the Winooski police stood watching. He said he was just monitoring downtown, as he would for any other event. He said he had spoken to Siegel in advance of the event and expected no problems.

"I encourage people to come out and say their piece," he said. "That's the best thing about this country."

Some of the protesters came because they lived near where Beshaw was shot and had heard the shots.

"It affected our community in a huge way," said Jennifer Bower, a neighbor. "People have been reeling."

Toni Foote, who held a sign reading "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," said she heard the shooting and watched it unfold from her office window.

"Reading about violence and witnessing it are different things," she said. She said her interactions with police in Winooski have been mostly positive, but she worries that violence like this is a spiral.

"We protest, they shoot," she said. "I don't know how it ends."

This story first appeared online on Sept. 23, 2016. Contact Jess Aloe at 802-660-1874 or jaloe@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jess_aloe 

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