Charleena Lyles
Charleena Lyles
Charleena Lyles was a pregnant mother of four from Seattle, Washington. On June 18, 2017 she was killed in front of her children in a police involved shooting where according to police, she held a knife. She had called the police for help to report an attempted burglary. [1]
Personal Life
Photo of Charleena with her children
Charleena Lyles was a mother of four, and was several months pregnant with a fifthchild on the way. Charleena had struggled with mental health issues during the past year. Charleena Lyles was concerned that authorities take her children, one of whom had Down syndrome. Family members said Charleena Lyles's children at the unit at the time of her death were two boys and a girl, ages 11, 4 and 1. [1]
Monika Williams lived with her children in a fourth floor apartment in the Brettler Family Place apartments complex.
The Brettler Family Place is part of a complex of apartments for formerly homeless people operated by Solid Ground.
Mike Buchman, communications director for Solid Ground, said about 400 people live at the complex in Magnuson Park. The Brettler is made up of two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments for families. Buchman said about half the residents are children. [1]
Monika Williams, Charleena's sister had said that Charleena had been receiving mental-health counseling after having run ins with the law.
She said Lyles had been arrested earlier this month by officers responding to another call after she had armed herself as protection against her boyfriend.
Jamieson said she had a pair of scissors during the previous encounter.
King County Jail records indicate Lyles was arrested and booked into jail June 5 for obstruction of a public official and two counts of harassment filed in Seattle Municipal Court.
She was released conditionally June 14.
Details of the June 5 incident were not immediately available.
Death
Memorial from Charleena's vigil
Memorial tribute
On Sunday June 18, 2017 Charleena was fatally shot by two White / Caucasian police officers with the Seattle Police in front of her children as she was according to them, holding a knife. [1]
At 10 a.m. on June 18, Seattle police responded after Charleena had called to report an attempted burglary at her Magnuson Park apartment.
At some point, police said, she displayed a knife and two officers shot and killed her.
Family members arriving about two hours later were distraught and questioned why police had to shoot her.
She was “tiny,” they said, and believe her race — she is African American — was a factor.The
SPD has confirmed that both officers were white. [1]
“Why couldn’t they have Tased her?
They could have taken her down.
I could have taken her down,” said Monika Williams, Lyles’ sister.
Police Detective Mark Jamieson said officers were alerted to “hazard information” in the system after a previous encounter with the woman, which prompted a two-officer response Sunday morning when she called to report an attempted burglary in her fourth-floor unit at Brettler Family Place apartments.
“Officers were confronted by a 30-year-old woman armed with a knife,” the department wrote on its web blotter.
“Both officers fired their duty weapons, striking the woman.
“There were several children inside the apartment at the time of the shooting, but they were not injured,” the department said.
“They are being cared for by other family members at this time.”
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, in a statement Sunday afternoon, called the incident “a tragedy for all involved.
My thoughts are with the many people impacted, including three children and the responding officers."
Murray and police Chief Kathleen O’Toole said the shooting will be reviewed by the department’s Force Investigation Team and the Office of Professional Accountability.
The King County Prosecutors’ Office also will review the incident and likely call for a coroner’s inquest.
Williams, the grieving sister, wept and yelled epithets outside the apartment, telling reporters Lyles had been shot and killed by police.
Another woman, who later said she was a stepsister, Florida Carroll, wept uncontrollably and wrung her hands.Williams
said her sister had “mental-health problems” and questioned the need for officers to use deadly force. [1]
“There’s no reason for her to be shot in front of her babies,” Williams yelled at reporters.
“The Seattle police shot the wrong one today.”
Memory
Mourners at Charleena's vigil
A vigil will be held for Charleena Lyles at 7 p.m. Sunday night at 6940 62nd Avenue NE at the soccer field near Magnuson Park.
Her sister Monika Williams, started a GoFundMe campaign to support her Charleena's children.