‘Justice for Mohamud’: Protesters gather in Boise, seek answers in police shooting
On a smoky Tuesday evening in downtown Boise, around 50 people gathered for a peaceful protest at City Hall to voice their frustrations and demand accountability in the Boise police shooting of a Somali refugee.
Many held signs reading “Show us the footage” and “Justice for Mohamud” while facing Capitol Boulevard, in reference to Mohamud Hassan Mkoma, who remains hospitalized after being shot by members of the Boise Police Department on June 27. About an hour into the protest, they broadcast messages over a megaphone.
Tuesday’s public demonstration was the first held by Boise’s Bantu community in support of Mkoma, who was suspected of taking a child and eventually involved in a police pursuit, according to BPD. Officials said patrol officers spotted him shortly after issuing a tweet with an image of Mkoma, 33, of Boise, and the 14-year-old boy he was alleged to have taken.
But Mkoma’s family, who are members of the sizable Somali refugee community in Boise, said the teen is Mkoma’s son — a detail BPD still has never acknowledged. The father of five children shares custody with his ex-wife, and the teen had been living with his father the past two months, Mkoma’s sister and brother said.
“He had his son the whole day that day. He was shot on his visitation with his son,” Mkoma’s younger sister, Hawo Mkoma, told the Idaho Statesman last week.
After 911 dispatch received a call that Sunday afternoon, BPD said officers located the suspect and his vehicle a handful of hours later, and spotted a weapon that they’ve never identified. When they tried to stop the suspect, police say he fled. Not far away, near the corner of 36th Street and Eyrie Way, they spun out the vehicle and officers confronted the driver — police have repeatedly declined to confirm it was Mkoma — and ended up firing their weapons.
Mana Mohamed, a representative for the local refugee community, said Tuesday that they want justice for Mkoma, and transparency, accountability and safety for the community. She and others have sought the release of body-camera footage of the shooting, which they were told by police would take several months.
“This is not OK. Police are refusing to show the information,” said Farhad Albdairi, a 20-year old Meridian resident who attended the protest Tuesday. “In fact, they know more than us ... (Police) shoot first and ask questions later.”
The family and other members of Boise’s Bantu community met last week with Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee to present a list of demands of the city and police department going forward. On Monday evening, four representatives of the refugee community also met with Mayor Lauren McLean to discuss next steps, but in the interim, they all committed to protest Tuesday night at Boise City Hall.
During a break in Tuesday’s regular weekly City Council meeting, McLean was joined by members Elaine Clegg, Holli Woodings and Jimmy Hallyburton in greeting demonstrators and answering a few questions.
“Where’s the footage of the shooting? You come out for a photo op,” one protester shouted at McLean. “Where’s the accountability, Mayor McLean?”
During its meeting, the City Council went through its agenda items and did not address the protest. The council meeting ended just before 8 p.m., with protesters still outside.
Chants of “Justice for Mohamud!” in both English and Kizigua, a native tongue of the Somali Bantu, met passersby on Capitol Boulevard, while a half-dozen police on motorcycles and bicycles sat idle across from City Hall.
A small protest of the shooting took place outside City Hall last Tuesday as well, conducted by the Black Lives Matter Boise Chapter. Members of the Bantu community did not attend. That rally also drew counterprotesters, some of whom waved pro-police flags and many of whom were armed, but there was no counterprotest this week.
Following a large rally at the Idaho Statehouse to honor George Floyd in early June 2020, City Hall was the site of numerous protests last summer, some more tense and one that included reports of assaults on Black Lives Matter protesters. One demonstration led to police issuing at least one arrest warrant and publishing photos of persons of interest who were accused of assaulting protesters. A large group of counterprotesters included some people who shouted slogans commonly used by white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups.
Subsequent protests at City Hall featured additional preventative measures by police, such as barricades, as well as demonstrators moving protests to other parts of the city to reduce the chance of conflicts.
Boise Police said in an emailed statement to the Idaho Statesman on Tuesday ahead of this protest that officers would be “monitoring this demonstration and providing extra patrols. At this time, there are no planned road closures, but officers will be available if temporary closures are needed for public safety.”
The department said it always “will work to make sure people have a safe way to exercise their First Amendment rights.”
This story was originally published July 13, 2021 at 7:36 PM.
