Protester and gun-toting Trump supporter shake hands and hug in show of unity at vigil held for black father, 21, shot dead by police - before angry armed vigilantes order BLM demonstrators off the streets
A protester and a Trump supporter unexpectedly shook hands at a vigil for a black man who was killed by police - but the peaceful moment was short-lived.
The scene unfolded at the Friday vigil for Kevin Peterson Jr, a 21-year-old father who was fatally gunned down in a a US Bank parking lot in Vancouver, Washington on Thursday.
Roughly 1,000 people attended the vigil, which was attended by Black Lives Matter protesters and flag-waving Trump supporters. A number of those in attendance were armed.
The scene unfolded on Friday during a vigil for 21-year-old Kevin Peterson Jr in Vancouver, Washington
A brief clip filmed by Independent Media PDX shows a group of the vigil members crossing Highway 99, approaching the Trump supporters and Chandler Pappas of Patriot Prayer.
One man in the group takes charge and asks the flag wavers and gun toters if they can allow space so that people can pay their respects to the slain father.
He calmly explains to the group that he is not a member of Black Lives Matter and he is just there to maintain peace.
As he shakes various Trump supporters hands, one man tells him: 'We can't let the media divide us.'
One protester led the peace talk that took place between vigil attendees and the Trump supporters
As he shakes various Trump supporters hands, one man tells him: 'We can't let the media divide us'
'Some of you are racist, I don't give a f**k,' the man continues in the clip. 'That's your personal belief in life so be you. Be that in your world, that's cool. Just respect each other'
The peacemaker chastises people on both sides for playing 'a political game.'
'Some of you are racist, I don't give a f**k,' the man continues in the clip. 'That's your personal belief in life so be you. Be that in your world, that's cool. Just respect each other.
The Trump supporters tell the vigil group that they will police their people who are being 'antagonistic' as the two groups continue to shake hands and the clip comes to a close.
The moment of solidarity was cut brief when not to long after, another clip shows some of the men with guns approaching the vigil attendees and screaming profanities at them as they tell them to get off the street.
The two groups can be heard screaming at each other as the night of protest continue.
'Shortly after flag wavers left the area, armed individuals came and told protesters from the vigil to get out of the street. “This isn’t Portland”,' tweeted Independent Media PDX.
Soon after the initial clip, armed vigilantes screamed at vigil attendees to get out of the street
The gun-toting vigilantes tell the BLM protesters to get out of the streets and say 'this isn't Portland'
The encounter comes as thousands have taken to the Washington streets to protest the killing of the father whose family said did not have a police record.
Witnesses said they saw Peterson 'looking scared' and running from the officers before cops offloaded multiple rounds of bullets into him on October 29.
Witnesses said they saw Peterson 'looking scared' and running from the officers before cops offloaded multiple rounds of bullets into him on October 29
Ben Crump, the attorney for several other families of black people killed by cops, claims his body was then left lying in the street for 12 hours and that authorities refused to speak with his devastated family.
In a statement, Clark County Sheriff Chuck Atkins said a joint city-county narcotics task force was conducting an investigation just before 6 p.m. Thursday and chased a man into the parking lot of a bank, where he fired a gun at them. A firearm was recovered at the scene, Atkins said.
The investigation has been referred to the Southwest Washington Independent Investigation Team, and the Camas Police Department is taking the lead, Atkins said.
Investigators said Friday evening that the narcotics task force had contacted a man suspected of selling illegal drugs in a motel parking lot and that he fled on foot with officers following.
The man produced a handgun and the officers backed off, investigators said. A short time later, the man encountered three Clark County deputies, all of whom fired their pistols at the man, they added. They did not say the man fired a handgun found at the scene, making it unclear what happened just before the shooting.
Peterson's father confirmed his son's identity, said he had no criminal record and said the family did not know any reason why he would have been involved in an incident with the police.
His devastated girlfriend and mother of his child Kailiah Peterson said he called her moments before shots rung out and told her he loved her as he died.