A peaceful vigil organized by the Albuquerque-based Native rights organization The Red Nation and the family of Loreal Tsingine was held Saturday in the parking lot of the Winslow Police Department. The 27-year-old Tsingine was shot and killed by a Winslow police officer following a shoplifting incident on March 27.
Approximately 200 people were gathered carrying signs that read “Border Town Justice” and “Justice For Loreal.” The crowd of family and supporters cheered speakers who called for the police to be held accountable for the shooting and demanded that the overall treatment of the Native American population in border town communities be addressed.
The shooting occurred after two officers responded to a suspected shoplifting incident at the Circle K on Williamson Avenue. According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, which is handling the investigation, the officers saw Tsingine walking near the convenience store and she matched the description of the suspect. When the officers attempted to detain her, she reportedly brandished a pair of scissors, an altercation ensued and one of officers fired five shots, killing Tsingine at the scene.
“This is what it’s like here in Winslow, what we deal with every day,” stated Floranda Dempsey, an aunt of Tsingine, claiming that police “criminalize” Native Americans.
Melanie Yazzie, one of the organizers with The Red Nation, stated to those present that the type of violence that occurred is typical for reservation border towns. “This is normal for what traverses in border towns. This hyper violence just hasn’t happened in the Navajo context until now,” she said. “Justice on our terms so rarely happens. If there’s an acquittal, that doesn’t mean justice.”
Other speakers called for the disbanding of the Winslow Police Department and for better training for all departments when it comes to handling Native Americans.
“This was an action that could’ve been avoided if the officers had been trained properly. Native Americans respond differently and needed to be treated with respect. A young woman, small in stature with a pair of scissors is taken to the ground, and an officer takes out a gun and kills her. A mother’s life has been taken and we will not stand on the sidelines,” stated Navajo Nation President Russell Begay.
Phil Stago of the White Mountain Apache Tribe said he was outraged that the officer responded with fatal force. “I want Chief Garnett to come before me and tell me why she was killed,” Stago said. “If she had an AK-47, I would understand. But a pair of scissors?”
Begay told the crowd he was working with the U.S. Department of Justice in making certain that the Winslow Police Department is accountable for what took place. “The feds are responsible for handling this, not a state policing agency. We signed treaties with them. If this is not dealt with properly, we will sue Winslow. We will say thank you when that takes place. Then we can say thank you and take her memory into the future,” he said.
The case remains under investigation, and the name of the officer who fired the shots that killed Tsingine has not been released.
Family and supporters gathered in the parking lot of the Winslow Police Department on Saturday as they mourned the loss of Loreal Tsingine.
