Witnesses: Ashes Of Woman Who Died In Police Custody Thrown At LAPD Chief

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Two women were detained by police when one of them allegedly threw what witnesses said were ashes at Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck during a meeting at LAPD headquarters.

The incident happened at around 10:30 a.m. during Tuesday morning’s Los Angeles Police Commission meeting.

Police say the powder-like substance — which was not officially identified — was thrown in the general direction of the police chief and “did land on Chief Beck.”

Several sources told CBS2’s Dave Lopez the substance was the ashes of Wakiesha Wilson, who died while in LAPD custody in 2016.

Reports from the scene suggest that Sheila Hines-Brim allegedly threw some of Wilson’s ashes at Beck and then reportedly shouted, “That’s Wakiesha,” as she was walking away.

On Tuesday evening after her release from jail, Hines-Brim said her niece had asked her to throw the ashes.

“I heard her clearly tell me. I used her ashes so they can be with him so he can feel her, because he murdered her,” she said. “They covered it up.”

The activist group Californians for Progress identified the detained women as Melina Abdullah, a leader of the Los Angeles arm of Black Lives Matter, and Hines-Brim, Wilson’s aunt.

After the substance was thrown, the meeting was recessed and the room was cleared.

According to CBS2’s Dave Lopez, Hines-Brim was booked for battery on a police officer. Both Hines-Brim and Abdullah are expected to be charged with misdemeanors.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Wire services contributed to this report.)