Update: Boise Council Member Stands by Her Comments, Retired Police Officer Responds
By Greg Pruett • June 18, 2020A Boise city council member, Lisa Sanchez, came under fire recently for comments she made on her public Facebook page.
She accused a young man, Michael Wallace, who negligently fired his firearm into the ground at a protest in Boise, as doing it on purpose to see what he could get away with. She accused him of benefiting from being white and had it been a black or brown person the results of the arrest would have been different.
In her closing statement, Sanchez said she chose not to have kids because she didn’t want white people to abuse and kill them.
Recently, Sanches spoke with KTVB where she defended her post on Facebook.
Sanchez said people are more concerned with her statement than they are with Wallace who allegedly fired his weapon in negligence.
Here is part of Sanchez’s statement to KTVB:
“It’s not an injustice this young man did what he did, putting people’s lives in danger, and his life in danger, but that nobody said anything,” Sanchez said. “Everybody dismissed it, ‘oh, it was an accident.’ You don’t accidentally leave your home with a ginormous gun with ammunition chambered with the safety off and go downtown threatening people. I don’t feel that this gentleman was exercising his first and second amendment rights. What I believe he was doing is exercising his rights as a white man in our culture where you’re always given the benefit of the doubt. That’s not what people of color experience in our community.”
Advertisement
To date, no evidence has been presented to the public that the firearm was discharged on purpose in order for Michael Wallace to prove he could do so because of his skin color.
Additionally, no evidence has been presented that Wallace was intentionally threatening anyone.
We do know that Wallace was arrested and has been charged according to Boise’s code for the negligent discharge of a firearm in city limits.
KTVB also asked Sanchez about her comments on not having children for fear of white people killing and abusing them.
Here is how Sanchez responded:
“I stand by that,” Sanchez said. “Right now, we’re all paying attention to these instances of police brutality, where black people have been killed seemingly for no good reason. Well, the reality is that people of color living in this country, we are not always killed like that. We are killed slowly, systematically, and the result is the same.”
It is unclear if Sanchez has specific concerns about Idaho. Her comments appear to be more directed at the United States as a whole.
One of the individuals not pleased with Council member Sanchez’s comments is Keith Graves, a retired police officer living in Boise.
Graves responded to Sanchez’s original statement with a video online.
Graves group, 3 to 1 Retired Police Officers and Firefighters in Idaho, has over 250 members.
In the video, Graves denounces the accusations that Boise Police would have treated a person of color any differently. He says there is no history that the Boise Police Department has treated people of color differently who are exercising their 1st or 2nd Amendment rights.
Graves says that Sanchez should be thanking the Boise Police Department for their efforts during the George Floyd protests in Boise and not belittling them.
In closing, Graves says that Sanchez should immediately resign her position as a city council member in Boise.
Graves calls her comments hyperbole and unhinged.
Sanchez doesn’t deny that her statement was hyperbolic and told KTVB:
“I feel the fact that so much attention has been brought to it is not just because it was hyperbolic, I think it’s because it’s true, and it’s hard to hear the truth,” Sanchez said. “It’s unfortunate that what I said is construed as an attack against our police department. That wasn’t my intention at all because the department reflects our community.”
In Sanchez’s original post she said that Wallace’s arrest in Boise would have been different if he wasn’t white.
She said in part:
“To the parents (if they exist) of the white man, Michael D. Wallace, I want to congratulate you on successfully having your son arrested, safely taken into custody by the Boise Police Department, and having him successfully bonded out of jail and home safe (not so sure about sound). You and your son won the race lottery!”
We reached out to Graves and asked him about her comment and he told Idaho Dispatch,
“She is inferring that the BPD would treat people differently based upon their color. There is no historical evidence that this would be true. To the contrary, BPD officers did a great job ensuring everyone got to exercise their constitutional right and they should be commended for their professionalism. From a city councilwoman, it would have been better to make a statement about what a great job the police and Boise did in keeping the peace.”
Local radio host Nate Shelman (670 KBOI) blasted Sanchez on his radio show after her initial comments.
Recently, he posted a message on Facebook in response to her KTVB interview. He said,
So, a city councilwoman can speak, while officers in the Boise Police Department have their jobs threatened if they share their thoughts. Interesting. Keep an eye on the battle over city council districting.
Shelman is referring to a law passed this year which will divide cities of over 100,000 people into “districts” for elections.
Usually, a city council is elected by everyone in the city.
Under a new law, bigger cities are divided up so that one person will represent a certain portion of the city. The idea behind the law is to ensure that someone from each part of the city is represented on the council and that no one area of the city ends up with all of the council members.
Shelman may be inferring that Sanchez could lose her position on the city council in the near future due to this new law.
Did Council member Sanchez go too far in her comments? Were her comments “racist” as some have claimed or was she just trying to point out racial disparity in the United States as her supporters are claiming? Did Mr. Graves misunderstand what Sanchez was saying about the Boise Police Department or did she imply that the Boise Police would have treated a person of color differently?
Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Tags: Boise City Council, Boise Police, Gun, Idaho, Keith Graves, Lisa Sanchez, Michael Wallace
17 thoughts on “Update: Boise Council Member Stands by Her Comments, Retired Police Officer Responds”
Comments are closed.
I cringe to think she and her ideals represent the city I live in!
I believe Ms. Sanchez should step down. Her comments prove she cannot be impartial. The city of Boise deserves so much better.
I believe she is the racist POS based on her comments.. she needs to be removed from her seat in a public office.
She’s not going to resign her city council position, she’s feeding at the big people trough now and no way is she going to step back from it.
Her comments and thoughts are so divisive, this is racism in its most raw form; ignorant and a true belief in what she is saying is the gods honest truth, with no evidence to back it up and statistical evidence to counter it. She “feels” this way so it is no “truth” when did reason and fact get replace by feelings and beliefs without evidence? This is the most dangerous evidence of racism and she needs to be removed, quick, fast and in a hurry.
He was treated the way he was not because he is white, but because he accepted responsibility and didn’t fight the police officers. I see little LA (Boise) to some of you is falling in line with liberalism. But people like her who just hates best remember out side of little LA the rest of us Idaho believe in the Constitution, at least most of us. If she is so afraid of living in America the border goes both ways and Mexico is waiting. Think she will feel safer living next to cartel members with guns given to them by the Obama Adminstration.
And please don’t call me a racist I have many good Brown and black friends none of whom believes this liberal bullshit
I believe her comments lack knowledge and understanding. She is ignorant. How do these people keep getting put in leadership in Boise!!??
I believe she needs to be removed from her position. I feel like her letter was a true form of racism and was intended to incite some form of violence. Very unprofessional of her with her educational background and experience in politics.
She is racist and cannot be impartial because of it. She is part of the problem. She needs to go.
Since in the last election, only 41% of eligible voters showed up at the polls. The medias’ portrayal of the mayor’s victory as a landslide victory actually of a 65% margin was actually less than 27% of the registered vote. We are seeing and have seen for many years the results of voter apathy not only in Boise but also across the nation. Boise is a little higher in voter turn and that is dismal. It is time that the citizens of Boise care enough to become involved and educated in what is going on in city hall, it is time for the voters to dictate the city’s policies by exercising their vote in every election. I would wager that face of Boise would be much different if people all voted.
This has been sent to the city council and the city council president with no acknowledgement or response. Boise deserves better!
I am writing to express my concern regarding Council Member Sanchez’s letter on the City of Boise’s Council Facebook page regarding Michael Wallace, his parents, and racial views. First of all, attempting public humiliation is never a good look especially via a political office. As a Council Member, you are expected to demonstrate leadership and propose solutions to issues that are facing the city. Instead, Council Member Sanchez chose to demonstrate a lack of leadership and professionalism by contributing to racial divide. She was elected to represent all members of this community. A Councilmember should represent the public in a fair, tolerant, and compassionate manner. Clearly, she is unable to meet these expectations. This type of labeling and racial division is beneath the dignity of her council position. What possible good will come of this type of division in our community? Boise is too great for hate.
Her comments about white supremacy and privilege are an inappropriate generalization of our community. This type of labeling is wrong, regardless of race. She closes her letter stating she chose not to have children for fear of their abuse and murder by white people. Is it appropriate for a Council member to state that any race is abusive and murders?
During this challenging time, Council leadership is needed to create unity and collaboration in our community. Ms. Sanchez has failed at both.
Well said, Ronin.
The woman is another nutcase. Good thing she chose not to procreate, we seem to have enough from the shallow end of the gene pool running around. She’s a racist and needs to resign. By the way “White” is a color. Don’t believe it? Go to a paint store.
Another Leftist who arrives at conclusions based on her own subjective FEELINGS and her own subjective personal BELIEFS about another person’s behavior and motives–another person she doesn’t even know, by the way. Where are the provable facts about the subject of her accusations? She’s an open bigot and should not be on the council for that reason alone, but also because she lacks judgment and the ability to discern between her subjective feelings and facts (that is, the imagined and the real). Here’s exactly what she said:
“I don’t feel that this gentleman was exercising his first and second amendment rights. What I believe he was doing is exercising his rights as a white man in our culture where you’re always given the benefit of the doubt.”
““I feel the fact that so much attention has been brought to it is not just because it was hyperbolic, I think it’s because it’s true…”
The following is what I responded to her original statement…I am mexican immigrant and you Lisa do not speak for me. My kids are half Mexican and half white. First thing I told my son was to carry his gun with him. Second lock his car doors and windows on his way to and from work. If it is his life or theirs to defend himself. I was a Correctional officer, but before anything I am a Marine Corps Veteran. I have taught my kids gun safety. I think this woman is the problem. She speaks out not because she believes all that bull but because she is thinking reelection and is laying down her foundation. She needs to be removed. They can remove officers but not the city council. I highly suggest people go out and vote! This is why it’s so important we vote in every election.
You know people like it have no business in politics. Her ignorant behavior and racist statements should disqualify her from her council seat.
Maybe a quick recall of the alt left waste of human skin.
Must step down imidiatly. These are extremely racist comments. This person is not fit for office. Not only does she not represent the views of the community she is making assumptions based nothing but race and accusations that are baseless.