A now-deceased transgender socialist seriously wounded a Seattle detective with the King County Sheriff’s Office in a shootout while officers delivered a final eviction notice in Washington state on Monday.
The flurry of gunshots occurred at a Ballard apartment complex and ended in the suicide of the transgender evictee, who was born male. All three detectives likely exchanged gunfire with the evictee, who went by the name Eucytus, or Eucy, before they committed suicide by a gunshot to the head, according to the Seattle Times.
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Detective David Easterly was injured and taken to Harborview Medical Center, where he went into surgery. As of Thursday night, he is still in critical condition. Although all three detectives were wearing bullet-proof vests, the bullet missed the vest and hit Easterly’s torso. Police initially said Easterly did not fire his gun, but further evidence indicated that all three deputies “probably returned fire,” according to a news release.
The Seattle Democratic Socialists of America confirmed Eucytus’s death in a statement on Tuesday, claiming the eviction was a form of “systemic violence.”
“Although we do not know the exact circumstances of Eucy’s death, it is indisputable that the inherently violent and traumatic process of deputies forcibly evicting a person from their home was a key factor,” the organization said. “We deeply regret that this eviction ended with gunfire, injury, and death, regardless of who initiated it. DSA supports peaceful, mass resistance against evictions.”
The DSA expanded that evictions often lead to “desperation and homelessness, disruptions to our education system, and the breaking apart of families and communities” and contributes to worse outcomes in mental and physical health, education, and higher incarceration rates.
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“We will remember and honor the life of Eucy and all those who have been killed by this unjust system by redoubling our commitment to building a socialist future where housing is a human right and where poverty, inequality, racism, sexism, and transphobia are relics of the past,” the organization added.
The other two detectives involved in the shooting will be placed on administrative leave as protocol dictates, despite each of them serving in the sheriff’s office for more than 20 years.
