Memorial for fallen Seattle police officer politicized by defund advocates

Anti-police Washington state and local elected officials politicized the memorial service for fallen Seattle Police Department officer Lexi Harris on Thursday. More than one thousand people attended the memorial service for officer Lexi Harris at T-Mobile Park, honoring the life of the five-year veteran with the Seattle Police Department who was highly respected amongst her peers and members within the community.

Mayor Jenny Durkan who allowed the BLM-Antifa occupation of Seattle last summer, and who worked with the city council to defund the department allegedly did not attend the service.

Among those in attendance were progressive Seattle City Councilmembers Lorena Gonzalez, Lisa Herbold, and Alex Pederson, all of which have voted to defund the police and to divert funds to community-led policing. Gonzalez and Herbold have a record of many years of anti-police rhetoric and vilifying the police.

Gonzalez, Seattle mayoral candidate and current city council president, got her start in politics by suing the Seattle Police Department over a police brutality case. Not only did Gonzalez preside over the council during the anti-police 'autonomous zone,' she has been actively involved in decreasing the morale of SPD officers. She has been a strong advocate to fire "white cops" during council discussions on ways to make more room in the police budget for further defunding efforts. Gonzalex was even spotted laughing during the service.

Gonzalez has attended Defund SPD rallies, marching alongside antifa supporting Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda and Socialist City Councilmember Kshama Sawant, who supports full abolition of the police force, and referred to SPD officers as "killers." Sawant is currently facing a recall effort while Mosqueda is the front runner in her bid for re-election.

Mosqueda, who did not attend, streamed a video of an anti SPD rioter who said, "SPD I need you to do me a favor. Take your guns, put them onto your chins, and pull the trigger. I need you to kill yourselves. That’s your only redemption. Go ahead, save us the trouble of tearing you apart and ****ing kill yourselves. Did I stutter? I said k-k-k-kill yourselves."

Mosqueda then replied, "The anger that you hear is justified."

In October 2020, chairman of Seattle City Council's Public Safety Committee Lisa Herbold introduced legislation to excuse and dismiss almost all misdemeanor crimes committed in Seattle by "persons with symptoms of addiction or mental disorder." Within weeks of introducing the legislation, Herbold experienced vandalism at her home and called 911 to have officers assist, a crime that is legal under the new legislation she introduced.

Although Herbold ran on increasing staffing levels for the Seattle Police Department, a department that was already understaffed by 50 percent, Herbold voted to cut more officers and to get rid of the Navigation Team; actively going against promises she made during her campaign. Herbold has also previously called the Police Chief to target her political enemies.

Herbold was also an advocate for fire white cops in order to make room in the SPD budget.

Sources within SPD told The Post Millennial that they would rather have had the councilmembers refrain from attending the service. "This has been an incredibly hard year for us at the Seattle Police Department," an officer told The Post Millennial. "There is a reason we are losing hundreds of officers and it primarily has to do with the unfair treatment from city leaders. Their presence was unwanted by many."

"Going into yesterday’s service with the belief that no one from SCC would show, I was insulted by those that did. The same ones who stood on a protest line, while community members told officers to commit suicide, feel that showing up and sitting front and center was appropriate?" another officer stated.

"These are the same members that are taking away money from the department and fanning the flames of hatred towards SPD," the officer added. "There is a time and place for political shenanigans, but at Lexi’s service, that’s not one. Poor form."

Another SPD officer told The Post Millennial that, "If I die in the line-of-duty, I have directed my friends to make sure they [city councilmembers] do not attend my service."

Governor Jay Inslee was also in attendance with his wife Trudy. Inslee supported BLM marches across Washington state in 2020 and left SPD to fend for themselves against rioters in the wake of the death of George Floyd.  

King County Executive Dow Constantine was spotted napping during the service. Constantine has faced repeated accusations of abusing the privilege of his personal protection unit so he can go to bars for late night redezvous at the cost of taxpayers. King County has also defunded the county Sheriff's department under Constantine's tenure.

Although the presence from officials was unwanted, their attendance failed to take from the moving memorial service honoring the life of fallen Seattle police officer Alexandra 'Lexi' Harris. Harris (38) leaves behind her fiancé, his two children, her parents and brother.

Officer Alexandra Harris was highly praised and loved by fellow officers within the Seattle Police Department and was known as an "exemplary public servant" and friend.

"Lexi was always giving and so it's not a surprise that she would take her own time to help somebody else because that was just a part of who she was," said Barbara Smith who spoke on behalf of Lexi’s family, KOMO News reports.

Before the memorial service, Seattle Police Interim Chief Adrian Diaz stated "As we prepare to remember Lexi's life, service and sacrifice, I'm reminded of these words: 'Law enforcement officers are never off duty.' They are dedicated public servants who are sworn to protect public safety at any time and place that the peace is threatened. This was certainly true of Lexi."

On Sunday July 13th, officer Lexi Harris stopped to assist a multiple car collision while heading home from duty. Out of the goodness of her heart, she selflessly exited her vehicle to check on the welfare of the civilians involved in the collision. Shortly after exiting the vehicle, Harris was tragically struck by another vehicle and was killed on impact.