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Calling the news 鈥渁 shock,鈥� Tacoma native Damian Pittman says he鈥檚 鈥渂affled鈥� by three Washington state lawmakers who have pre-filed state that would lessen penalties for drive-by murderers to 鈥減romote racial equity.鈥�

Damian Pittman choked up on The Dori Monson Show while recalling the love and respect he had for his older brother 鈥� Corey Pittman, then 19, who was gunned down 24 years ago on Tacoma鈥檚 Hilltop neighborhood while on summer break from Alabama State University.

The proposed bill comes despite Seattle drive-by shootings , with eight shootings in Seattle and Tacoma over the New Year鈥檚 weekend alone.

Saying current law unfairly targets Black and Brown people, bill co-sponsor Tarra Simmons (D-Bremerton) calls the aggravated first-degree murder case against Corey Pittman鈥檚 killer, Kimonte Carter, an example of 鈥渟ystemic racism.鈥� Simmons, who is the first felon elected to the Washington State Legislature, is joined on the proposal by David Hackney (D-Tukwila) whose district includes Kent, Renton, Tukwila and South Seattle, and Cindy Ryu (D-Shoreline).

Rantz: WA Democrats鈥� bill says it鈥檚 鈥榬acial equity鈥� to go easy on drive-by murderers

Damian Pittman says none of the three legislators reached out to him regarding their proposed bill 鈥� even though Carter鈥檚 conviction for killing his brother appears to be the only current case in Washington state that would be affected.

鈥淭here鈥檚 an important human side to this,鈥� Dori shared with listeners. 鈥淚t sounded like Corey had some big-time plans.鈥� A Lincoln High School graduate, Corey Pittman served as senior class treasurer, homecoming king, and president of the school鈥檚 Martin Luther King Jr. Club before heading off to study political science with goals to be a lawyer.

鈥淐orey was very funny, smart, ambitious,鈥� Damian recalls. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l be hard-pressed to find someone who didn鈥檛 admire him. He had a way of making the community better, making the world better.

鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing better than having a brother,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 was born with a best friend.鈥�

Carter, meanwhile, is 39, and still serving a life sentence for the drive-by shooting. Dori points out that, if passed, the legislation could get Carter out of prison 鈥� 鈥渕aybe right away.鈥�

Damian Pittman calls it 鈥渂affling鈥� that lawmakers point to Carter鈥檚 good behavior in prison, and makes it clear that this 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 mean that you鈥檙e absolved from punishment. . . They can spin it in whatever way they want, but I鈥檓 a Black man. This isn鈥檛 about party lines. This isn鈥檛 about racial equity.鈥�

What would Damian Pittman say to the legislators promoting this bill?

鈥淢y family was destroyed in one night. I haven鈥檛 been right since. Even just talking about it brings pain,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 implore you. No parents should have to bury their kids. Say his name. Corey Pittman. He was not a name a nameless victim. He was a person.鈥�

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