We Keep Us Safe: Circles of Silence

As the lawsuit over Antonio Mays Jr.’s death goes to trial, more clues bring us closer to identifying the person who shot him at close range. Will Antonio’s father finally get answers, and will anyone be held accountable? We Keep Us Safe is part of Focus, a dedicated documentary channel from KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR network. Get in touch with the team by email at [email protected]. Support KUOW and projects like this by donating at kuow.org/donate/focus.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The hunt for Antonio’s killer leads us to a mysterious security group called the Sentinels. For the first time, former members speak about their operation at CHOP and describe the person they say shot Antonio at close range. We Keep Us Safe is part of Focus, a dedicated documentary channel from KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR network. Get in touch with the team by email at [email protected]. Support KUOW and projects like this by donating at kuow.org/donate/focus.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An interview with a protester who witnessed the aftermath of the shooting leads to a tip that changes the entire investigation. We Keep Us Safe is part of Focus, a dedicated documentary channel from KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR network. Get in touch with the team by email at [email protected]. Support KUOW and projects like this by donating at kuow.org/donate/focus.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What really happened the night Antonio Mays Jr. was killed? Protesters claim he was attacking CHOP and they had to defend themselves. But new evidence from that night turns everything we thought we knew about the shooting upside down. We Keep Us Safe is part of Focus, a dedicated documentary channel from KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR network. Get in touch with the team by email at [email protected]. Support KUOW and projects like this by donating at kuow.org/donate/focus.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who was Antonio Mays Jr.? What was he up to at CHOP? A deep dive into Antonio’s last few weeks leads to perplexing rumors, new details about the night he was killed and conversations with the people whose lives were changed by his death. We Keep Us Safe is part of Focus, a dedicated documentary channel from KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR network. Get in touch with the team by email at [email protected]. Support KUOW and projects like this by donating at kuow.org/donate/focus.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After police retreat from their precinct, protesters begin occupying roughly eight blocks of Seattle. It's their attempt at a police-free world. But as rumors spread, fear and paranoia take over, setting a dangerous stage for Antonio Mays Jr.'s arrival. We Keep Us Safe is part of Focus, a dedicated documentary channel from KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR network. Get in touch with the team by email at [email protected]. Support KUOW and projects like this by donating at kuow.org/donate/focus.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the summer of 2020, protests are happening all across the country. But Seattle is different. A confrontation between protestors and police outside a precinct leads to the birth of CHOP. A thousand miles away, Antonio Mays Jr. hears about what’s happening in Seattle. He was shot and killed there three weeks later. We Keep Us Safe is part of Focus, a dedicated documentary channel from KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR network. Get in touch with the team by email at [email protected]. Support KUOW and projects like this by donating at kuow.org/donate/focus.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When 16-year-old Antonio Mays Jr. was shot and killed inside Seattle's CHOP protest zone in 2020, protesters claimed self-defense. For years, that version of events went unchallenged. Reporters Sydney Brownstone, Will James and David Gutman investigate what really happened the night Antonio died. We Keep Us Safe is part of Focus, a dedicated documentary channel from KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR network. Get in touch with the team by email at [email protected]. Support KUOW and projects like this by donating at kuow.org/donate/focus.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“You let Tom Hudson off the hook." That was one of the first things Paul (not his real name) said to host Isolde Raftery during their first conversation earlier this year. He wanted her to know about his own experience with Hudson, which included years of manipulation and molestation.   And that wasn’t all. Paul also recounted harrowing details about Hudson’s death, puncturing the narrative Isolde held true for so many years.  In this final episode of Adults in the Room, we uncover how extensive Tom Hudson’s crimes were … and how little we really understood about his death.  CONTENT ADVISORY: This episode includes graphic descriptions of sexual abuse, drug abuse, and suicide, and includes a slur for gay men.  If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741. Please take care while listening.   KUOW only allows sources anonymity on rare occasions. You can read our entire ethics policy, which details how we approach anonymous sourcing, here.  Get in touch with the team by email at [email protected]. Support KUOW and projects like this by donating at kuow.org/donate/focus. Adults in the Room is part of FOCUS, a dedicated documentary channel from KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR network. It is hosted by Isolde Raftery. Original reporting by Isolde Raftery, Jeannie Yandel, and Will James. Our producers are Will James and Alec Cowan. Our editor is Jeannie Yandel. Music by BC Campbell. Additional music by Alec Cowan.   Special thanks to King County Sexual Assault Resource Center, Phyllis Fletcher, John Bancroft, Mary Mills, and Levi Pulkkinen.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The team behind Adults in the Room is hard at work on an Epilogue episode, set to release later this summer. In the meantime, the team recently gathered for a live event to discuss behind-the-scenes moments and decisions from the series—including interviews that didn't make it into the final episodes, the continued challenges of addressing grooming and childhood sexual abuse, and audience questions. KUOW's Libby Denkmann was joined by Ella Hushagen, host Isolde Raftery, producer Alec Cowan, and editor Jeannie Yandel.  Get in touch with the team by email at [email protected]. Support KUOW and projects like this by donating at kuow.org/focus. Adults in the Room is part of FOCUS, a dedicated documentary channel from KUOW Public Radio in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Thank you to everyone who made this event possible, including Ella Hushagen, host Libby Denkmann, producers Alec Cowan and Hans Twite, editor Jeannie Yandel, event manager Charlotte Duren, and marketing associate Carina Bolaños Lewen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.