By Brad Smith
MEDFORD,
Ore. – Over 200 people gathered at the Jackson County Courthouse for a Wednesday vigil
for Aidan Ellison, a young Black man who was shot in Ashland on Nov. 23.
Southern
Oregon Coalition for Racial Equity (SOEquity) the Rogue Action Center and other
local racial/social groups helped put the vigil together. Kayla Wade, SOEquity’s
founder, was among the speakers.
“We’re here
because a white man thought that a young Black kid just expressing himself and
listening to music and decompressing was unacceptable and needed to be dealt
with,” she said. “We’re here because every person of color, every Black person
in this community, has experienced something like that: Having a white person
decide that how we’re living our lives is unacceptable and that we need to tone
it down or need to be silenced. If we want to live in a world where we can
exist with dignity, something has to change.”
As
previously reported, on Nov. 23, Keegan allegedly shot and killed Ellison. The
victim was reportedly in the Ashland's Stratford Inn parking lot and listening
to music. Cops said that Keegan was not happy about the loud music and – armed
with a concealed handgun – went outside to confront Ellison. An argument ensued
and Ellison was shot. Keegan was taken into custody and charged with second-degree
murder, first-degree manslaughter, unlawful possession of a firearm (Keegan
didn't have a concealed weapon permit) and recklessly endangering another
person.
Court records added a
few details to the incident. Keegan was reportedly awakened by loud music this
happened at around 4 a.m. He told police that he got dressed, put the gun in
his jacket pocket, and went to the front desk. An employee then went out to the
parking lot and spoke with Ellison. As they were talked, Keegan went outside
and then confronted the young man. That is how the argument started.
Keegan claimed that
Ellison hit him in the face a number of times. However, the autopsy indicated
that Ellison’s hands lacked bruising or marks consistent with a physical
assault. And Keegan’s face wasn’t bruised or marked.
Keegan is still being
held at the Jackson County and no bail has been set. His next court date is
Feb. 22, 2021.
Ellison’s death sparked
outrage throughout the Southern Oregon area and ire at some local media
outlets. CBS affiliate KTVL 10 went into detail about Keegan’s alleged plight
as someone displaced by September’s Almeda Fire while very little was said
about the victim. Meantime, Ellison’s family, living in Klamath Falls, have
been targeted by harassment from local white supremacists and even some law
enforcement, Clarence Carr claimed.
“It’s been very hard for
them and they’re getting by,” he said. “It’s a day by day thing. No one should
have to go through this shit.”
A number of people from
the BIPOC community spoke during the vigil, sharing their experiences with racism
here in the Rogue Valley. As Carr noted, many came here hoping they could avoid
it.
“But no matter what, it’s
here and we need to do something about it.”
As some local media
outlets published articles about the vigil on social media, racism did rear its
ugly head from time to time. It got so bad that in one case, KTVL banned “Elijah
Rebel Kruis” for promoting hate speech, they said. Kruis’ Facebook page is adorned
with Confederate flags and far-right posts. Others, like William Meehan, Jr. and Ronald King, blamed
Ellison for playing “crap rap music” too loud and said the victim was being “disrespectful.” In short, they victim shamed.
It was reported that
Keegan didn’t have a criminal record but a restraining order was filed by his
ex-wife a number of years ago. She also alleged that both she and her son –
whom Keegan had custody of – were victims of his emotional and physical abuse.
On Thursday, Chief Tighe
O’Meara, Ashland Police Dept., issued the following press release:
In reference to the
murder of Aidan Ellison, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is working with
the Ashland Police Department to assess whether there are any potential
violations of federal laws.
While, at this
time, this has not been substantiated, under state or federal law, to have been
a bias crime, it is important to examine all aspects of this case and determine
whether a bias crime has been committed.
Anyone with
information pertinent to this case is encouraged to contact the Ashland Police
Department.
The Ashland Police
Department is grateful for the FBI’s engagement on this case.
An anonymous source, a former law enforcement officer, said
they were glad to see the FBI aiding with the investigation.