In December of 2016, I was asked to write about the Coy Wayne Walker case out of Texas, originally published on Odyssey. (https://www.theodysseyonline.com/protect-serve) The piece is still posted on Odyssey as well as my personal site, though many of my opinions on the case have changed. This particular case is an important one to me, because the people and events surrounding this case changed the way that I do business entirely. After I wrote "To Protect and Serve", I established that I could and would refuse to help anyone who espoused racist, misogynist, homophobic, or otherwise hateful rhetoric--and that I reserved the right to terminate any and all contact at any time. I made my opinion on people who hold the above-mentioned attitudes quite clear, yet I have continued to be contacted by several of them over the last few months. As the due date of my second son approaches, my patience and tolerance have dwindled. I have cut my workload significantly in anticipation of my son's arrival, and I want to reiterate that if I make the decision to decline further work on a case, that decision is final. The following is an open letter to Mr. Herbert "Tommy" Walker: Mr. Walker, Allow me to say first and foremost that I will always have sympathy for you in regard to the loss of your son. No matter the circumstances, no parent should live long enough to bury their child. I can only imagine the agony, sorrow, and guilt that must bring. I know how intensely I love my own sons, and I wouldn't wish such a loss on my worst enemy. My condolences to you and your wife. That being said, as I more deeply researched your case and got to know you, I learned many things about you that led me to make the decision to end my work with you. On social media, you frequently posted things against the women's march and against a woman's right to protest. You oversimplified and minimized our struggle. You posted memes and graphics that disparaged and laughed at the BLM movement. You posted graphics in support of President Andrew Jackson, calling him a hero and making fun of people who would like to see him taken off the $20 bill. In case you were unaware, President Jackson masterminded the displacement, torture, and genocide of my ancestors. Yet you ask me continually to help you seek justice for your white son--a violent, drug-addicted felon who died in police custody. The audacity of it makes bile rise in my throat. How self-absorbed must you be? How entitled do you feel? Why are your protests more valid than those of my sisters? Why are your qualms with law enforcement more important than those of BLM? Why would I, a woman with Native blood, want to devote my free time to help a white man who heralds Andrew Jackson as an American hero? Why should anyone fight for your son? Because he was white? Because he was YOUR son? No one owes you or your son a thing. If you would remain silent--and even mocking--to the very real plight of your fellow man, why should anyone speak for you? You want a written opinion from me on your case? Here it is: I believe that the officers of Parker County, Texas contributed to the injuries and resulting death of Coy Wayne Walker during his arrest in May, 2015. However, I believe that Coy Walker was ultimately the most responsible for his untimely demise, considering his violent criminal history and habitual methamphetamine use. It was reasonable for the police to assume that they were about to encounter a violent felon under the influence of drugs. While I personally disagree with their use of force and the choices they made that fateful evening, I myself am not a trained officer of the law and have never been placed in a similar situation. Given the chaotic state of the crime scene and their prior knowledge of Coy Walker, I believe that any reasonable judge or jury would rule in favor of the Parker County Police Department. This was not an innocent young man walking home from a church revival. This was a seasoned criminal high on twice the lethal amount of meth who had already been arrested for assaulting his own elderly father. I have bigger battles to fight. Mr. Walker, you have already demonstrated that you will not fight for women or your black brothers and sisters. You have disparaged the experiences and valid feelings of the Natives of this country. Therefore, you can continue your fight without my assistance. I do wish you the best of luck, and I hope that your crusade will encourage police reform and start a much needed discussion regarding police training. Sincerely, KD Burr