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Artwork for Focus: We Keep Us Safe

Focus: We Keep Us Safe

KUOW News and Information
Seattle
Psychosis
Mental Health Crisis
Homelessness
Antonio Mays Jr.
Garfield High School
Schizophrenia
Tom Hudson
Mental Health Care System
Mental Illness
Capitol Hill Occupied Protest
Substance Use
Community Care
Mental Health Policy
Emergency Psychiatry
Jesse Lee Johnson
Oregon Public Broadcasting
Harriet Thompson
North Little Rock, Arkansas
Salem, Oregon

New Season "We Keep Us Safe" starting September 21, 2026.

In the summer of 2020, sixteen-year-old Antonio Mays Jr. traveled a thousand miles to join the racial justice movement of his generation. He arrived in Seattle during the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest, known as CHOP. Less than a week later, he was shot and killed there. The case remains unsolved. In this eight-part series, first published ... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes25Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
DocumentarySociety & Culture

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Artwork for Focus: We Keep Us Safe

Latest Episodes

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... more

YouTube

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... more

YouTube

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... more

YouTube

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 Sa... more

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Recent Guests

Antonio Mays Sr.
Father of Antonio Mays Jr. and plaintiff in the wrongful-death lawsuit against Seattle
Episode: We Keep Us Safe: Circles of Silence
Tom Mahaffey
Former assistant police chief who oversaw the department's response to the 2020 protests
Seattle Police Department
Episode: We Keep Us Safe: Circles of Silence
Rashila Leavitt
Activist who was part of CHOP from its beginning through its dismantling
Episode: We Keep Us Safe: Circles of Silence
Omari Salisbury
Journalist who extensively documented CHOP
Converge Media
Episode: We Keep Us Safe: Circles of Silence
Austin Sharp
Former CHOP volunteer who went by the name Joker and says he volunteered as a medic.
Episode: We Keep Us Safe: The Sentinels
Colby Williams
Tsimshian protester who came to CHOP to show Native solidarity with Black protesters.
Episode: We Keep Us Safe: Inside the White Jeep
Eric Dientino
Witness who saw the shooting at the CHOP barricades from his window.
Episode: We Keep Us Safe: Inside the White Jeep
Prashayla Levitt
Seattle protest organizer who volunteered on CHOP's de-escalation team
Episode: We Keep Us Safe: The Chase
Sierra Walker
Homeless protester who spoke about Antonio at CHOP
CHOP protesters (interview subject)
Episode: We Keep Us Safe: Pocket's World

Hosts

Isolde Raftery
Host known for investigative journalism and immersive documentary storytelling focused on community impact and accountability.
Libby Denkmann
Moderator with a background in investigative reporting and public radio collaboration.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 3.2k ratings
  • Exceptional

    I was in high school in the same region during the same years. My friends and I (girls) all experienced creepy comments and behaviors from a few of our male teachers, similar to your journalism teacher. Nobody cared back then. Luckily I only ever got the comments, nothing physical. Thank you for caring, even in your youth, and thank you for finally bringing this to light. Also- very well done, a riveting podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    PotatoGirl2001
    United Statesa month ago
  • So weird

    The last episode was really hard to believe. I had a hard time accepting the story.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    seesaw70
    United Statesa month ago
  • 100% NPR

    I can’t even stop laughing

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Bellamammal
    United Statesa month ago
  • Disappointed

    So distracted by "We Keep

    Us Safe's" disconnected

    pastiche of music. Blocks of disjointed (royalty-free?)

    music, with little connection to the story or

    even the feel, stuck

    into an important story

    (otherwise told with great care). Disappointed.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Tlockyer
    United Statesa month ago
  • I believe you Paul

    I thank God for the courage of all the people in this story for sharing. I thank God for saving your life Paul. Thank you Isolde and Ella

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Smiling JRT
    United States2 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Episodes are gripping, well-structured, and deeply reported with strong sourcing.
Listeners praise rigorous research, balanced storytelling, and thoughtful handling of survivor voices.
Some listeners feel delivery can be overly methodical or emotionally restrained.
The reporting is widely seen as impactful and ethically careful, though a subset critiques pacing or narrative focus.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

We Keep Us Safe: The Chase
Q: Were you in a car while people were shooting at Antonio that night?
Levitt says she was not in the car while people were shooting at Mays, and says she was following a different, darker-colored vehicle.
We Keep Us Safe: The Chase
Q: So why did the ambulance drive away?
The reporters review dispatch recordings indicating that responders were warned about a silver Nissan Pathfinder following an emergency unit aggressively, while another dispatcher clarified that the Pathfinder had a gunshot victim inside.
We Keep Us Safe: Inside the White Jeep
Q: Did you ever see who was shooting at you?
DG says he could not identify the shooters because he was lying on the ground in the back of the Jeep. He recalls bullets passing over him and going through the seats.
We Keep Us Safe: Inside the White Jeep
Q: Can you just start out by telling us how you came to Chop? Like, what drew you there?
DG says he was 16, that many teenagers were going to CHOP, and that it was something to do during the pandemic. He describes it as a huge party and says he went with Robert.
We Keep Us Safe: Circles of Silence
Q: Does the movement bear any responsibility for what happened to him?
Rashila Leavitt says people involved in the movement share some responsibility, but she cannot identify a specific action that would have changed what happened.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Focus: We Keep Us Safe

What is Focus: We Keep Us Safe about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This series focuses on immersive, long-form investigations that revisit historic local controversies to surface new evidence and perspectives. Each season concentrates on a single, impactful story in the Pacific Northwest, blending archival material, survivor voices, and contextual reporting to challenge established narratives about life in the region and broader social dynamics. The format leans into thorough sourcing, intimate storytelling, and ethical questions around journalism, memory, and accountability, often revisiting past events with fresh angles and contemporary implications. A standout aspect is its collaborative, multi-partner production approach, bringing together public media, newspapers, and national outlets to deepen the in... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Focus: We Keep Us Safe?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Focus: We Keep Us Safe:

1. Love Trapped
2. The Binge Cases: Doctor Billions
3. Betrayal Season 6
4. The Binge: Free Shelley Jensen
5. Deep Cover

How many episodes of Focus: We Keep Us Safe are there?

Focus: We Keep Us Safe launched 3 years ago and published 25 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Focus: We Keep Us Safe?

Recent guests on Focus: We Keep Us Safe include:

1. Antonio Mays Sr.
2. Tom Mahaffey
3. Rashila Leavitt
4. Omari Salisbury
5. Austin Sharp
6. Colby Williams
7. Eric Dientino
8. Prashayla Levitt

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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