COLORADO SPRINGS — Protesters took to the mayor's office Saturday afternoon to express their concern over the disciplinary actions taken after a CSPD officer’s social media post.
That officer is Sgt. Keith Wrede. That protest happened on June 30 when protestors blocked traffic on I-25. Four of those protesters would later be criminally charged for their role.
On a news outlet's live stream of the protest, Wrede wrote a comment saying "kill them all."
CSPD internal affairs investigated and on August 10 announced Wrede would be suspended for 40 hours and lose pay. He was also reassigned within the department.
“I trust the police, in general. But when a policeman shows that attitude… that should be a signal that something is wrong and something needs to be done,” protester Chineta Lynn said.
Saturday’s protesters were tired of what they see as business as usual.
“We just can’t have people who are hired to serve and protect us who are calling for the extermination of people who have different views than they do,” protester Jasmine Marchman said.
They believe the action taken against Wrede didn’t go far enough.
“He said kill them all, kill them all, twice in the live stream,” Marchman said. “I work in education. If I had said that, I wouldn’t have my job the next day.”
“Action has to be taken,” Lynn said. “More than one week off the job. We don’t want policemen serving us with that kind of attitude.”
That’s why they took the message outside mayor Suthers’ office Saturday.
“We’re calling for leadership,” Marchman said. “We want the police department to first and foremost terminate Wrede.”
They say now is the time to change the course.
“The country is looking at our city, so let’s actually give them something positive to talk about instead of just another incident of how Colorado Springs can’t do the right thing,” Marchman said.
They say they’re ready to be in it for the long haul.
“This is not the last time that we will be out here if they do not do what they should do,” Lynn said.
