Olympians gather to “Thrash Against Racism”

OLYMPIA –– Dozens of people gathered at Yauger Skatepark in West Olympia late Friday afternoon to demonstrate against racism in a protest called “Thrash Against Racism and Police Brutality.”

The event, one of the latest demonstrations against racism and police brutality in the area, hit home for many at the protest, including Andre Thompson, one of two brothers shot at by Olympia Police Officers after an altercation between the brothers and police five years ago. 

While Thompson and his brother, Bryson Chaplin, both survived the encounter with Olympia police, some don’t survive such encounters. Yvonne McDonald, a local woman who was found unresponsive in the front yard of an Olympia residence two years ago, died at the hospital the day she was found by a city street sweeper. She is said by family to have been hit by a car and left for dead, and though the family pressed city officials for answers and information since McDonald’s death, said they have yet to find the answers they’ve been seeking for two years. 

“It’s awesome the community is coming together to hold Andre and Bryson up and the rest of the families that have been impacted by police brutality,” said Crystal Chaplin, co-host of the protest and mother to both Andre and Bryson. 

Crystal described Bryson and Andre as good brothers and good sons, as well as family men, and “homebodies” who spend a lot of time with their family. 

“They don’t go out to the clubs or anything like that,” Chaplin said. 

Others who came out in support of Andre, Bryson and their family said they wanted to see the case against Andre and Bryson reopened, and for justice to be served to the police officer who wrongly targeted and shot at the brothers five years ago.

“We’re not going to stop until we get justice,” said Talauna Reed, a niece of McDonald. “It’s years and years of systemic racism that ends up resulting in lost lives. Her [Crystal’s] boys survived, but my aunt didn’t. It’s unfortunate that they can’t put themselves in a situation of a family member who’s lost somebody and do the right thing.”

Andre, who attended the protest, wanted people to know that the protest is to highlight the need for justice for Black lives, and that he and many others in the community feel the struggle of trying to find that sense of justice. 

“Police just get away with everything,” he said. “It’s been rough. We’ve been supporting a lot of people this whole time –– George Floyd was what made it go over the top. We’re in solidarity with them.”

This story has been updated to say Crystal Chaplin is mother to both Bryson Chaplin and Andre Thompson, not just Bryson. The name of the protest has also been corrected to  "Thrash Against Racism and Police Brutality," as well as the correct date of the altercation between a police officer and the two brothers.