Justice 4 Jesse Sarey

Jesse Sarey

was a young Khmer American struggling with mental health issues and homelessness. On May 31, 2019, he was brutally murdered by Auburn officer Jeff Nelson, who had already killed two other people in the community. Under I-940, Nelson became the first officer to be indicted and is only the third officer in Washington State to be indicted for murder.
CELEBRATION OF LIFE
See highlights below from an uplifting day of reflections, music, speeches, performances and food celebrating the life of Jesse Sarey in June.

The Auburn Mayor, Police and City Council have been complicit in the murders of three men; Brian Scaman (2011), Isaiah Obet (2017) and Jesse Sarey (2019) who’s families have been intertwined forever by Officer Jeff Nelson. They will never again be able to hug their mothers, fathers, know their daughter, hang out with their brothers and sisters, cousins, friends or become the light for their commUNITY they were destined to be.

We have an opportunity to use our collective voices to make justice a reality for all three of these families.

Jeff Nelson should be fired, indicted, and held accountable for his murders. Currently Jeff Nelson has been arrested and charged for 2nd degree murder and 1st degree assault. He is on paid administrative house arrest pending the murder trial in Winter 2023.

We need community to turn out, turn up and be present during the murder trial. WE WILL NOT REST UNTIL JESSE SAREY FAMILY HAS ACCOUNTABILITY!

Our justice will be justice for Brian Scaman and Isaiah Obet. This is no time to turn a blind eye...STAND UP!!!

To get access to State VS Nelson court dates and Zoom links contact:
latasha.averett@kingcounty.gov

Flier by Amelia Isabel Escobedo
Photo Credits: Lisa Ahlberg
THE FIRST POLICE MURDER
TRIAL IN WASHINGTON STATE
IN 30 YEARS
Jesse is the third police murder victim of Auburn Officer Jeff Nelson. Nelson was finally indicted after taking Jesse's life, and he is the first officer in the state of Washington to be prosecuted for taking the life of a civilian in 30 years under Initiative 940. Less than 1% of police officers are held criminally accountable when they commit murder. This is why State v. Nelson needs your attention, and the nation's.

A Call to Reform Violent Policing
THE JUSTICE 4 JESSE SAREY CAMPAIGN: OUR STORY AND FIGHT FOR JUSTICE
Based across the nation, we have created the Justice 4 Jesse Sarey campaign to honor the life and legacy of Jesse and bring the necessary pressure to this case that will hold Jeff Nelson accountable to the fullest extent of his charges. Our mission is to secure a conviction for Nelson. Please stand with us in this fight to win justice for Jesse, the unheard AAPI victims of police violence, and all impacted families.

Remembering Jesse
An Interview with Steven Sarey, cousin and close friend

Directed by Bunthay Cheam and Edited by Lucky Chanthalangsy, with support from the Sarey family, Justice 4 Jesse Sarey Campaign, and Wing Luke Museum

RECENT EVENTS
Campaign and Community Events

A Conversation with the Family
An open dialogue on Jesse's Life, I-940 & State v. Nelson
May 18, 2022--Coinciding with AAPI Heritage Month, this panel organized and co-sponsored by various student groups and community organizations illustrated the injustices of police violence, rehumanized Jesse’s life and catalyzed the movement that holds Jeff Nelson accountable for his actions.
Washington State's Initiative 940

From Lisa Daugaard, Director at the Public Defender Association, on the development of Washington I-940

This huge shift and major development grew out of the work of many people:

In 2015, a team of Seattle Times reporters wrote “Shielded by the Law,” documenting that out of 213 police killings in WA, only one officer had been charged with criminal conduct (and none convicted) because of WA’s impossible threshold for criminal liability for officers who use deadly force recklessly or negligently. (Mike Carter, Christine Willmsen, Steve Miletich, Justin Mayo)

A push for legislative change led by activists from Olympia led to a Task Force on police use of deadly force, evenly balanced between police and community voices. The community coalition that formed there hung together for several more years through I-940. (Leslie Cushman, Karen Johnson, Crystal Renée Chaplin, Tim Reynon, Kim Mosolf, Toshiko Grace Hasegawa, Gerald Hankerson, De'Sean Quinn, Jorge L. Baron)

Not This Time brought new energy and confidence to the battle to change the WA legal standard for criminal liability for officers who use deadly force. I-940 passes in 2018, and in 2019 legislative amendments were adopted with wide consensus. (Andre' Taylor, Athena Taylor, Devitta Briscoe, Nina Gregory, Bonnie L. Fluckinger, Monisha Harrell, Leslie Cushman, Lindsey Grad, Chris Lampkin, Xochitl Maykovich, Heather Michelle Villanueva, Alison Holcomb, Nina Martinez, Loretta Gutierrez, Monalisa Earl, Ehren Flygare)

James Bible originally identified a right to counsel in the inquest process as a top priority.

Corey Guilmette at PDA and Not This Time, with families who were facing or had already gone through inquests without lawyers, fought for "Sonia's Law," after Sonia Joseph, mom of Giovann Joseph McDade, which established a right to counsel for families facing inquests after a death in custody. (Monika Williams, Katrina Johnson, Tonya Isabell, Marilyn Covarrubias)

The King County Council members passed "Sonia's Law."

The Department of Public Defense attorneys then began providing counsel to families. (Anita Khandelwal, La Rond Baker)

DPD lawyers Amy Parker and Susy Sobel shed light on the multiple killings this officer was involved in.

The family and friends of Jesse Sarey, including Elaine Simons, never stopped pushing for justice in Jesse's case.

And King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg and Mark Larson, who retired but committed to seeing this critical work through.

Step by step.

Jesse Sarey

CELEBRATION OF LIFE

Photo Credits: Lisa Ahlberg

THE FIRST POLICE MURDER

TRIAL IN WASHINGTON STATE

IN 30 YEARS

THE JUSTICE 4 JESSE SAREY CAMPAIGN: OUR STORY AND FIGHT FOR JUSTICE

An Interview with Steven Sarey, cousin and close friend

RECENT EVENTS

A Conversation with the Family

An open dialogue on Jesse's Life, I-940 & State v. Nelson

Washington State's Initiative 940