Death of Hamza Warsame ruled an accident

Students and community members marched from Seattle Central College to the Seattle Police Department East Precinct to protest the way the department handled the death of Hamza Warsame, who died after a fall from a Capitol Hill building. (Photo by Jovelle Tamayo.)
Students and community members marched from Seattle Central College to the Seattle Police Department East Precinct to protest the way the department handled the death of Hamza Warsame, who died after a fall from a Capitol Hill building. (Photo by Jovelle Tamayo.)

Hamza Warsame, the 16-year-old Running Start student whose death raised an outcry in the Seattle black and Muslim communities, died in an unintentional fall, the King County Medical Examiner concluded, according to a report in The Seattle Times.

Seattle Police told the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog the case remains open until investigators review the evidence from the medical examiner’s office.

Several rallies followed the 16-year-old student’s death on Dec. 5, with many for increased scrutiny on the case after what some felt was the lack of attention by the Seattle Police Department and the media.

Warsame’s family also told the Globalist they felt the police treated them with a lack of sensitivity after the teenager’s death.

Following the community outcry, Seattle Police Assistant Chief Robert Merner started to supervise the case, according to a Dec. 8 police department blog post.

Initial reports from the police and the media reported that foul play was not suspected, though a rumor spread online that the teenager’s death was the result of a hate crime. Both Warsame’s family and the Seattle Police urged the public to stop the speculation while the investigation continued.

2 Comments

  1. Maybe the truth is being told? Maybe the truth will never be fully known? It is so tragic to wonder why such a senseless death of a promising and obviously well-loved person has occurred. I have an extreme phobia of heights, so I myself would not be found on a roof anywhere, even my own. But, I wish fervently that I could express my sympathy in the deepest way. I personally would trade my senior citizen life fully lived and often enjoyed, though sometimes very hard and even full of discrimination against me as a woman, a divorcee, a single mother, an less-than-beautiful female of the species, etc. to bring back Hamza and give him the chance to make his own journey and compose his own story. Please forgive those who may appear to treat you indifferently. They have almost an IMPOSSIBLE MANDATE to uphold justice and keep peace among an extremely divided people. We in America appear quite “peaceful” on the surface, but I believe there is an underlying struggle bubbling just below the surface. Take as clear and obvious evidence the extreme difference in position even of the political front-runners for the next presidential election. There could not be more diametrically opposed policies and belief systems. Yes, this is meant to be the country of “freedom”, “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” for ALL. Can it be accomplished given the divisive nature of those who want the right to total greed and self-interest with no control over their desire fulfillment faced off against those who believe in sharing the “happiness” and self-fulfillment both materially and psychologically? We shall see. The story continues. Let us work to make it better each and every day. I will do the best I can.
    Sincerely yours,

Comments are closed.

2 Comments

  1. Maybe the truth is being told? Maybe the truth will never be fully known? It is so tragic to wonder why such a senseless death of a promising and obviously well-loved person has occurred. I have an extreme phobia of heights, so I myself would not be found on a roof anywhere, even my own. But, I wish fervently that I could express my sympathy in the deepest way. I personally would trade my senior citizen life fully lived and often enjoyed, though sometimes very hard and even full of discrimination against me as a woman, a divorcee, a single mother, an less-than-beautiful female of the species, etc. to bring back Hamza and give him the chance to make his own journey and compose his own story. Please forgive those who may appear to treat you indifferently. They have almost an IMPOSSIBLE MANDATE to uphold justice and keep peace among an extremely divided people. We in America appear quite “peaceful” on the surface, but I believe there is an underlying struggle bubbling just below the surface. Take as clear and obvious evidence the extreme difference in position even of the political front-runners for the next presidential election. There could not be more diametrically opposed policies and belief systems. Yes, this is meant to be the country of “freedom”, “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” for ALL. Can it be accomplished given the divisive nature of those who want the right to total greed and self-interest with no control over their desire fulfillment faced off against those who believe in sharing the “happiness” and self-fulfillment both materially and psychologically? We shall see. The story continues. Let us work to make it better each and every day. I will do the best I can.
    Sincerely yours,

Comments are closed.