Press "Enter" to skip to content

Message from the Editor: Auburn Looting Incident

Advertisement

To the out readers,

Sunday night (5/31) while on scene to document and report on the looting at The Outlet Collection, I was contacted by two officers from the Valley Cities Civil Disturbance Unit. They instructed me to vacate the property. I refused, and requested a Commander. An Auburn Police Commander came to our location and repeated the instruction. After a brief back and forth, I left the property. This exchange occurred while I was livestreaming on the Auburn Examiner Facebook page.

Advertisement

Right or wrong, I could and should have handled this situation better. Journalists are there to document and report, not be the story. I apologize and take full accountability for my actions, and how they reflect on this news outlet, my team, and fellow journalists.

Your trust and confidence is not something I take lightly. For some of you, I know that trust was shaken tonight. It is my hope you will provide me, and the Auburn Examiner, the chance to regain it.

Looting in Auburn

I want to make something abundantly clear: the incident Sunday in Auburn was not a protest. It wasn’t a riot, either. It was an organized horde of individuals utilizing the wounds of a country to commit criminal acts. Auburn was sadly not the only city victimized by looting of this manner.

It is vital that the obvious difference between the peaceful and passionate protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd, and the destructive riots that bastardize the message of these protests is documented, and reported. That was my goal tonight.

Advertisement

A peaceful protest in Auburn is scheduled for Tuesday, June 2, at 6PM. The location is City Hall. We have an article with more details coming out Monday (which is today, but it’s almost 3AM)

The AE Team and I will endeavor to ensure this and every story we tell going forward is worthy of the trust you put in us.

Thank you,
Elizabeth Miller
Founder and Editor
Auburn Examiner

Advertisement
Advertisement
More from CrimeMore posts in Crime »
More from NewsMore posts in News »
Advertisement

7 Comments

  1. Dennis Dennis June 1, 2020

    Looking forward to more detail on the looting incident. I see that the criminal element is taking advantage of this civil unrest. Hope it ends soon.

  2. Lew Humiston Lew Humiston June 1, 2020

    It is the responsibility of the Fourth Estate to interrogate facts and those in power. I’m troubled by your published apology to the City of Auburn for demanding that your position as a member of the media be afforded its due. I think a great second story would be challenging this curfew as both an overreaction and overstep of Auburn’s authority. I’m a long-time resident of Auburn, and I will be addressing my concern about this curfew with Nancy’s office and will remember it when I vote during the next mayoral election.

  3. Lynn Lynn June 1, 2020

    Why is Auburn Supr Mall and Wal-Mart Closed with Heavy Police presence

  4. Arden Arden June 1, 2020

    It’s private property. If an agent if that place tells you to leave, go to the sidewalk. They can’t make you leave there. But if you stay on private property, it’s your fault.

  5. Robert M. Blevins Robert M. Blevins June 1, 2020

    You know what, Elizabeth? They tried to do the same thing with reporters at other locations. It’s historical. No worries. No need to apologize, either. People have a right to know what’s going on, and they depend on people like YOU to provide them with the Real Deal as they say. This kind of action by authorities in situations like this is nothing new, and sometimes they will try to suppress reporting.

    I’ve been living in the Auburn/Puyallup valley area since I was a shirt-tailed farm kid in the late 1960’s. I don’t see a need for you to apologize for anything. To paraphrase the famous film:

    “Reporting…means never having to say you’re sorry.” 🙂

  6. kathy kathy June 2, 2020

    I appreciate your apology. I believe your safety was the concern of the police.
    The published article was good and reported the facts. Thanks for the information.

  7. David F. David F. June 2, 2020

    I support you and the AE. Keep on keepin’ on.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

WP2Social Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com