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3-Iortlanh ODhsrrner
July 13, 2011
L aw J ustice
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Judge Orders Parish Bennette Jr. to Remain in Jail
M ultnomah County Judge R i
chard C. Baldwin ruled Thursday
that Parrish Bennette Jr. remain
held without bail on murder and
m anslaughter charges in the al
leg ed k illin g o f 1 4 -y ea r-o ld
Yashanne Vaughn, who has been
m issing since March 14.
The hearing had resumed on
Thursday, July 7, after a full day
of testimony on June 24.
Prosecutor Brian Davidson said
Bennette, 16, told his father he shot
Vaughn on accident, before he got
rid of her body. Evidence, however,
has led stakeholders to believe her
death was not an accident.
Blood splatter evidence found
Door Close
continued
from fron t
within Bennette’s room suggested they said the search will continue strong presence and voice against
Vaughn had been likely struck or to find Y ashanee’s missing body, the person believed to have killed
beaten before she was shot and so they can bring her home.
Yashanee.
killed, which Davidson argued
The family wishes to thank the
Portland Police said the inves
coun ter’s B ennette’s statem ent District A ttorney’s office. Judge tig a tio n is o n g o in g to fin d
that her death was an accident.
Baldwin, Portland Police, the City Vaugn ’ s body, and they urge any
A lth o u g h the fa m ily o f of Portland, the media, and all of one with further inform ation to
Yashanne Vaughn said they are Y ashanee’s friends who stood call Crime Stoppers at 503-823-
happy he has been denied bail. with them at the trial to have a HELP.
Film on Blacks
in Hawaii
Seeznin’s Bar and
where shots were almost immediately fired.
Lounge, which
Three patrons of the premises of were shot.
opened last March,
One of the Patrons was found to be deceased
at the scene and two had serious injuries that
has shut its doors to
required hospitalization.”
business after
restrictions were
Thompson said he has surveillance foot
The election of Senator Barack Obama as
age, which he has given the Portland Police,
placed on the bar as
U.S. President in 2008 brought new atten
of the night of Irving's death showing allega
a result o f the fatal
tion to the Hawaii of his birth and the people
tions of violence on his property that night
shooting o f James
who live there.
are “Lies.”
“U ” Irving on June
Although the latest Census shows that
"With the OLCC there are a lot of non
2 6 in the parking lot
40,000 African Americans are residing in
truths,” said Thompson. “Insinuating we had
across the street.
the islands, many of those are military per
fights occur when we never had any violence
sonnel and their dependents. The civilian
take place here or on the premises.”
population has been invisible in the public
Although the press release sent out to
eye, in history books, and in the traditional
media about the recent restrictions stated the
media.
incident took place in the parking lot of
Such obscu
Seeznin s, the shootings actually occurred in
rity defies the
a parking lot across the street, he said.
a c h ie v e m e n ts
on community livability considerations when provided food handlers cards out of pocket
According to the OLCC, the restrictions guiding alcohol beverage system growth.
and accomplish
for 23 kids throughout the community, as well
are a result of a number of “serious and
Some of the required restrictions for the as one young adult received a job doing sign
ments over the
dangerous incidents” that have occurred on businessThompson said were already regu language for the Police Activity League, he
tw o hun d red
the premises since the license was received in larly enforced, including a wand to search said.
years A frican
early March, including a fight on April 20, people and their bags before they enter the
Americans have
All different walks of life visit the bar,
which they said led to a death after those establishment, as well as age verification
lived in the is
Thompson said, but the majority of custom
involved left the premises. Arrests were also checks.
lands of Hawaii,
ers of Seeznin’s are African American indi
made on May 20 for parole violations.
The other restrictions, however, Thomp viduals from throughout the community.
located in the
The Director of Public Safety for the OLCC son said are impossible for him to adhere to
middle of the Pacific.
“We have families and all kinds of people
Rudy Williams said even when the incident while maintaining his new establishment. who frequent here, but people think when
Holding Fast the Dream: Hawaii's Afri
occurs down the street, across the street, or Some include anyone who exits the building ever black folk come together in a group they
can American Experience is a 90 minute
around the corner from the establishment, the after 10:30 p.m. will not be allowed re-entry, are a gang,” he said. “I believe race has
documentary film that was selected for
licensees are still held responsible. "The lic and the bar must be closed by 11:30 p.m. something to do with this.”
screening at the San Diego Black Film Fes
ensee is responsible for everything inside or Further, they required Thompson to imple
tival in 2011 and for the Hawaii International
“Putting the restrictions on the bar was
outside the premise,” he said.
ment a dress code.
Film Festival in 2010.
not intended to close the business down,”
The cook at Seeznin ' s barjam es Mcmi llan,
“Anyone wearing gang-related clothing said Christie Scott, the public Affairs special
First welcom ed by royalty o f the Ha
however, said, “You can’t just stop people will be refused entry,” said the OLCC in a
waiian Kingdom in 1810, blacks became a
ist for the OLCC. “We are working off the
from coming in here, and it is not our job to press release, but the immediate order ex
part o f the m ostly Polynesian popula
police report by trained officials.”
crack down on the gangs.”
plained the details, which read “a person
tion. Many interm arried with the local
Williams agreed.
Before the violence happened across the wearing clothing associated with gang mem
population and after W orld W ar II the
“It was never our intent not to allow him to
street everyone within the Seeznin's seemed bership or affiliation, including but not lim
black population increased with a small
be successful,” he said. “People don’t under
to be in high-spirits, he said. “The mood was ited to athletic jerseys (with the exception of
group o f professionals consisting of
stand a liquor license is a privilege, but when
good in here.”
game day attire for local events) tom or ragged it is linked to public danger, you must be held
teachers, doctors, law yers, civil servants
Minutes before Irving was shot, Mcmillan clothing, casual sweat pants or track suits, accountable.”
and elected officials.
was cooking Irving and his family chicken head wear of any kind, or known bike wear or
Dr, Miles M. Jackson, executive pro
Williams explained, “we would be remised
while they celebrated a birthday. “Then he street wear attire, including color will be re
ducer and retired faculty member of the
if we did not take the actions we took and
walked outside, and they killed him,” he said. fused entry to the premises.”
University of Hawaii and the author of two
would be abdicating our role and responsibil
“It’s just sad about him (Irving) dying,” he
Thompson, while wearing a maroon track ity to make the environment safe.”
books and articles on Blacks in Hawaii, says
said. “They are trying to blame the bar. Not jacket, said his clothing would be considered
that the film tells the story that has been
Thompson, however, said putting restric
trying— they blamed the bar.”
gang-related by the OLCC, and he asked what tions on bars and different places does not
largely untold - until now.
Thompson said, for the community to blame does this help?
Jackson teamed up with award winning
get to the root of the problem, which is there
the bar for the violence is unfounded be
“I don’t like being labeled a gang bar,” he is a very large gang and gun violence problem
filmmaker Steve Okino to make the first-ever
cause, unfortunately, in Portland there have said.
visual presentation of the achievements
in Portland Oregon.
been several murders since September, and
According to Thompson, Seeznin’s is a
and struggles of the Black community in
“OLCC is not in touch with what is going
no one has been arrested.
place for everyone within the community.
Hawaii.
on within the community,” he said. “But they
According to the OLCC, the organization
On June 16 the business held a Youth are throwing down the law without any facts
To purchase a copy of the DVD or for
has a Public Safety Principle, which focuses Employment fair at Seeznin’s, where they or truths of what took place.”
more details, visit holdingthedream.org.
Obscurity defies
achievements