EAGLE POINT, Ore. — Family and friends of Matthew Thayer Graves rallied together at the Eagle Point police department Monday night to bring awareness to mental health.
Matthew Graves was shot and killed by an Eagle Point police officer last month.
Family members say Graves suffered from Schizophrenia and hope the rally will push law enforcement to learn how to better handle situations with people who have a mental illness.
They had a sign that read, “Don’t jump the gun, get educated.” The sign also read “#justiceformatt.”
“We want to bring awareness to not just the police but everybody in the world,” Kara Stewart, friend of Graves, said.
“Somebody lost their life for absolutely no reason and that’s why we’re here, justice for Matt,” Amanda Jones, friend of Graves, said.
Friends and family were not the only ones at the rally. Those who were in support of law enforcement also showed up. One man held a sign saying “God bless our police.”
“People in our society just seem to like to rush to judgement especially about law enforcement and it’s just my opportunity to stand up and say enough,” Bruce Kelly, said.
Family and friends remember Graves to be kind, funny and giving.
The investigation on the shooting is still ongoing.
Blakely McHugh is co-anchor of NBC5 News at Sunrise and spokesperson for In This Together, a suicide prevention initiative. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Blakely is a native of San Diego, CA.
Blakely is excited to be in southern Oregon, a place that gets all the seasons and has similar temperatures to Arizona in the summer! When she’s not at work, you can find her relaxing at home watching TV and cuddling with her cat, Dallas. She also enjoys trying new places to eat and exploring the outdoors.
Blakely loves meeting new people so if you see her out and about, say “hi!”
