ABC News was harshly criticized Sunday for whitewashing the story of a Black Lives Matter protester Summer Taylor, who was killed while demonstrating on a Seattle highway over the weekend.
ABC News reported, “A young protester has died from injuries she suffered when a luxury car plowed into her and another woman during a Black Lives Matter protest Saturday on a Seattle freeway that has been shut down for days due to the civil unrest, police said.”
Clearly the headline was written to evoke an emotional response and connection to the horrific death of Heather Heyer, killed by a white supremacist in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017.
Taylor, 24, was killed by Dawit Kelete, the driver behind the wheel of the that “luxury car”
The Guardian begins “Taylor was killed in Seattle on Saturday when a man drove his car into a crowd protesting against police brutality” – Dawit was mentioned, with his race, around paragraph 14-15 of the story.
CNN never mentions Kelete, his race, that the driver was black, but did render the question: When asked if this was a “targeted attack,” Mead said, “We don’t know that, that does remain a focus of our investigation.”
Kelete, 27, also hit Diaz Love, 32, from Portland, who is still alive, but serious condition. He briefly turned his hazards before driving away.
A judge on Monday set a $1.2 million bail.
Summer Taylor is described as an “antiracist activist” who was an “animal lover who worked full-time at a Seattle veterinary clinic.”
In some posts Taylor is listed as transgender or non-binary.
“The Human Rights Campaign mourns the loss of Summer Taylor, who died while putting their life on the line to demand justice,” said Tori Cooper, HRC director of community engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative. “In their final moments, Taylor was living their values and marching in solidarity with Black lives. We must honor Summer Taylor’s life and sacrifice by continuing the fight for justice for Black people and for all marginalized communities including Black transgender women.”
A young protester has died from injuries she suffered when a luxury car plowed into her and another woman during a Black Lives Matter protest Saturday on a Seattle freeway that has been shut down for days due to the civil unrest, police said. https://t.co/4VN3VeDMcK
— ABC News (@ABC) July 5, 2020
Gone to trial?