Story and Photos by Giles Clasen

Lakewood Police Chief Phillip Smith engaged directly with protestors Monday night following public comments at the Lakewood City Council meeting at the Lakewood Civic Center.

After Gratton’s supporters exited the meeting, Smith approached the group on his own in what appeared to be an attempt to show he is listening and responding to their concerns.

But the demonstrators challenged Smith for 10 minutes over the investigation into the death of Jax Gratton, and what they described as the mistreatment of her mother and the LGBTQ+ community by Lakewood police.

The exchange followed nearly 30 minutes of public comment during the Lakewood City Council meeting at the Lakewood Civic Center, where speakers urged the council to establish an independent oversight task force to review the investigation into Gratton’s death.

Jax Gratton was failed by systems that are supposed to protect, by people who were supposed to show up, by a city that never spoke her name loud enough for it to echo past the agenda. You forgot her name, but I won't, we won't," Gratton's friend Tynk Insy told the city council while fighting back tears.

"She didn't just vanish into thin air. She was failed. Jax Gratton was failed by systems that are supposed to protect, by people who were supposed to show up, by a city that never spoke her name loud enough for it to echo past the agenda. You forgot her name, but I won't, we won't," Gratton's friend Tynk Insy told the city council while fighting back tears.

Nearly 50 supporters attended the meeting, but only a small group was present when Smith reiterated statements he made during the council meeting, saying that he cared about solving the case and that he promised to do better in training his department to be sensitive to the trans and LGBTQ+ communities.

The advocates told Smith that the department's actions were building greater distrust between the LGBTQ+ community and the police.

"I take full responsibility," Smith told the group. "I'm telling you, some of this stuff, I'm learning myself."

Smith was referring to learning about the trans community's needs.

During the council meeting, Smith apologized to the Gratton family for the department deadnaming Gratton in previous statements. Smith also outlined steps the department is taking to improve trust and cultural competence. He announced the formation of a Community Advisory Group, highlighted updates to department policy regarding interactions with transgender individuals, and emphasized ongoing efforts to implement training and outreach through partnerships with local LGBTQ+ organizations.

During his remarks to the council, Smith referenced updated policies on interactions with “the transgender,” using the term as a noun rather than an adjective. The phrasing immediately upset Gratton's supporters, some of whom interrupted to express that his language was dehumanizing.

"I'll do better," Smith told the supporters after the meeting.

Williams specifically questioned why it took more than five weeks for Gratton’s mother to be connected with a victim advocate from the Lakewood Police Department’s Victim Assistance Unit, a program that typically offers emotional support, crisis intervention, and guidance through the criminal justice process shortly after a case begin.

“So why are you the chief if you're uneducated?” a supporter yelled back to Smith from the crowd. “Why are you the chief if you're uneducated [about transgender and diverse communities]? Let somebody who knows what they're doing fucking do it and take care of our fucking friend who's dead.”

As Smith walked to his car, Z Williams, an advocate and lawyer working with Gratton's family, questioned Smith on what they saw as missteps by the department.

Williams specifically questioned why it took more than five weeks for Gratton’s mother to be connected with a victim advocate from the Lakewood Police Department’s Victim Assistance Unit, a program that typically offers emotional support, crisis intervention, and guidance through the criminal justice process shortly after a case begins.

Smith seemed surprised that Gratton-Camis hadn't been offered access to an advocate by his department until over a month after Gratton's body was found.

"See, it's a 400-person agency. There's several layers before it gets to me. That's all," Smith said, when asked about his knowledge of the case and his department's actions by Williams.

Williams responded, saying that Gratton's case is one of the most high-profile cases the Lakewood Police Department has taken on since Smith became chief two years ago. They repeated their concern that the City needs to install an oversight task force to help guide the investigation.

"What we need are people who know [how] to oversee this process. And if you're doing everything you can, you should have no shame [to install the task force]," Williams said.

Smith said that he has never objected to an oversight task force.

"Let me ask you this thing," Smith said to Williams. "Who said that I ever said I didn't want to [have an oversight task force]? Because that was made up."

As Smith walked to his car, Z Williams, an advocate and lawyer working with Gratton's family, questioned Smith on what they saw as missteps by the department.

A petition for the oversight task force, which was signed by more than 4,000 individuals, asked for the task force to include a trans community member, a trans advocate, an individual with experience in advocacy for 2SLGBTQIA+ victims, and a representative from the legal community.

"I'm willing to [install a task force] as long as it's explicit and it's spelled out [what would be the responsibilities of the oversight task force]. It's not going to be a general term," Smith said.

Williams responded that they were open to creating a more specific plan but that there has not been communication between Smith and them to create a detailed plan for the oversight task force.

Advocates Demand Oversight Taskforce for Lakewood Police in Jax Gratton Case

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