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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
Garfield High School
Schizophrenia
Tom Hudson
Mental Health Care System
Mental Illness
Substance Use
Community Care
Mental Health Policy
Emergency Psychiatry
Jesse Lee Johnson
Oregon Public Broadcasting
Harriet Thompson
North Little Rock, Arkansas
Salem, Oregon
Death Row
Drug Addiction

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

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes24Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
DocumentarySociety & Culture

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Artwork for Focus: We Keep Us Safe

Latest Episodes

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

YouTube

Who was Antonio Mays Jr.? What was he up to at CHOP? A deep dive into Antonio’s last few weeks leads to perplexing rumors, new details about the night he was killed and conversations with the people whose lives were changed by his death.

We Keep Us... more

YouTube

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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Sierra Walker
Homeless protester who spoke about Antonio at CHOP
CHOP protesters (interview subject)
Episode: We Keep Us Safe: Pocket's World
Robert West
Antonio's friend who survived the night and testified in deposition
Friend of Antonio
Episode: We Keep Us Safe: Pocket's World
Andre Colbert (Dre)
Antonio's best friend described by speakers
BandLab collaborator
Episode: We Keep Us Safe: Pocket's World
Omari Salisbury
Founder of Converge Media, on-the-ground journalist
Converge Media
Episode: We Keep Us Safe: The Standoff
Tammy Floyd
Seattle police lieutenant and aide to the commander
Seattle Police Department
Episode: We Keep Us Safe: The Standoff
Tom Mahaffey
Assistant police chief overseeing protest response
Seattle Police Department
Episode: We Keep Us Safe: The Standoff
Ashley Dorellis
Protester/filmmaker documenting CHOP proceedings
Protester/Filmmaker
Episode: We Keep Us Safe: Who Killed Antonio Mays Jr.?
Ella Hushagen
Isolde's childhood friend and today an attorney
Independent
Episode: Adults in the Room Live: A behind-the-scenes look at an investigation 25 years in the making
Tim Matsui
Local rock climber and documentarian who contributed archival tapes
Post 84 / Outdoors program (past)
Episode: Adults in the Room: Bad Apples

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 States5 days ago
  • So weird

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

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    seesaw70
    United States8 days ago
  • 100% NPR

    I can’t even stop laughing

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Bellamammal
    United States9 days 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 States20 days 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 Statesa month 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: Pocket's World
Q: What did the investigation discover about Antonio's life before CHOP?
It uncovered a multifaceted young person who explored identities online through BandLab and music, challenging the assumption that he was simply a gang-associated figure, and showed he loved his friends and music.
Adults in the Room Live: A behind-the-scenes look at an investigation 25 years in the making
Q: How do you avoid sensationalizing a difficult story?
The team emphasizes honoring survivors, presenting complex humans rather than reducing them to a stereotype, avoiding dazzling details, and maintaining rigorous fact-checking to protect the subjects.
Adults in the Room Live: A behind-the-scenes look at an investigation 25 years in the making
Q: What can you tell us about episode eight and what's next?
Episode eight centers on one individual's story, dating back to the 1980s, connecting Tom Hudson and his death, with only limited detail shared to build anticipation for the finale.
Adults in the Room Live: A behind-the-scenes look at an investigation 25 years in the making
Q: Why dredge this up now?
The team explains the ongoing relevance, the present-day impact, and the desire to understand what happened beyond the initial reporting, including how abuse and institutional responses ripple through time.
Adults in the Room: The Boy in the Photograph
Q: Was there anything else I should know about the photo and the investigation?
The investigator pressed for full disclosure, and Jason ultimately shared the deeper context of the bets, the tent encounters, and the escalating boundary violations, which reframed the events as part of a broader grooming pattern rather than isolated incidents.

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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1. Love Trapped
2. Trace of Suspicion
3. The Binge Cases: Doctor Billions
4. Betrayal Season 6
5. The Binge Crimes: What Happened to the Harrisons?

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

Focus: We Keep Us Safe launched 3 years ago and published 24 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. Sierra Walker
2. Robert West
3. Andre Colbert (Dre)
4. Omari Salisbury
5. Tammy Floyd
6. Tom Mahaffey
7. Ashley Dorellis
8. Ella Hushagen

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