Charleena Lyles' family, former Seattle police chief among those meeting to discuss police violence

It's been nearly a year since Seattle police officers shot and killed Charleena Lyles.

Thursday, a panel of experts and a member of Lyles' family will gather at the University of Washington to talk about police violence and strategies to stop it.

The discussion will focus partly on Seattle Police. The panel will also explore community and legal strategies to stop police violence.

Amy Hagopian, faculty member at UW’s School of Public Health, says the event should provide a well-rounded discussion.

"I think it's an interesting thing to bring together victims with policy people," Hagopian said. "So it's not just academics who are thinking about this in a cerebral way, but actual people who have been hurt by police."

Police violence, Hogopian adds, is a problem that could benefit from a public health approach. “We'd like to see more research on this. We'd like to see preventive activities take place. We'd love to see new capacity to respond to mental health crises other than to deploy officers with guns,” Hagopian said.

The panel includes Katrina Johnson, Charleena Lyles' first cousin, former Seattle police Chief Norm Stamper, and Jorge Torres, a leader of Seattle Black Lives Matter protests.

Earlier this year, Torres won $85,000 from the city after Seattle officers threw him to the ground and arrested him during a protest in 2014.

An officer was recorded on dashcam audio targeting Torres by his race.

Click here to find out more about the event.