Dozens of residents gathered near Far North Bicentennial Park Saturday to honor the victims of two recent police related shootings in Anchorage.
Leaders of the Polynesian community organized the event. Some are calling on the Anchorage Police Department to revise its use of force policy.
"We want answers," said the Director of the Polynesian Community Center Miriama Aumavae. "We want to know what the police are doing to prevent this from happening, because it's repetitive. It's what, two or three shootings in a month?"
Aumavae is referring to the June 9th shooting of Shane Tasi and the July 1st shooting of Harry Smith.
Police say Tasi charged at officers with a stick, and Smith pointed an air gun at them.
"The idea is the officer has to look at the totality of the situation and determine what it is they need to do in that in that situation," said retired Anchorage Police detective Glen Klinkhart.
Klinkhart handled investigations into police related shootings while he was with APD.
"We bring resources together quickly to start trying to figure out what happened," said Klinkhart. "It's almost treated as if the worst case has happened, that an officer has committed a crime or something."
Aumavae says she was at a closed door meeting Friday with APD Chief Mark Mew, and other members of the Polynesian Community.
"The Anchorage Police Department, they want to make it a safer neighborhood," said Aumavae. "So I said to Chief Mew, what have you done to better outreach?, and there was no response."
Anchorage's Equal Opportunity Director and other city leaders were at the rally. Another special meeting is set for July 16th at assembly chambers to talk about police protocols.
