Hundreds of people demonstrated in downtown Anchorage on Saturday, demanding justice, peace and change in the Anchorage Police Department after an officer shot and killed a 16-year-old girl in her family’s apartment this week.

Easter Leafa’s death has sparked fear and concern among the community and put the police department under fire. Mayor Suzanne LaFrance and Police Chief Sean Case have responded by announcing a series of reforms aimed at reducing the number of police shootings in Anchorage. The president of the police union has rejected the proposal, saying he is “dismayed by what city leaders have said and implied over the past few days.”

In the last three months, six people have been shot by police in Anchorage. Four died and two were injured.

Case said this week that Leafa had a knife in her hand when Officer Alexander Roman shot her Tuesday night while responding to a report of a domestic dispute. Another officer in the apartment fired non-lethal rounds, Case said.

Family members have said Leafa, who would have started her penultimate year of high school this week, moved to Anchorage from American Samoa earlier this year in the hopes of getting a better education.

The goal of Saturday’s march is to find peace and a common way forward as a city, said Rev. Samuel Fiu Unutoa, CEO of the Samoan Tribal Council of Alaska.

“In Samoan culture, there are no protests,” he said. “Samoans are a warrior tribe, we don’t protest, we fight… but we also know how not to fight by sitting down and talking to each other… and that’s what we’re doing. We’re going to talk today. We’re going to talk tomorrow. We’re going to talk to our town every day and let them know who we are and what we are like as a tribe so they can help us and understand us.”

Case and LaFrance spoke to the crowd outside police headquarters on Saturday.

“Over the last week, I’ve learned a lot more about Samoan culture and I just want to say how much I appreciate everyone gathering here today to honor Easter Leafa and begin this healing process together as a community,” Case said. “This community is a close-knit community. I know the role the church plays in this and it just means a lot to me as the police chief to come together, use this time to support family and support each other and try to move forward together.”

LaFrance echoed her sentiments from Thursday’s announcement of the reforms, saying she was heartbroken that we lost such a young life in our community.

As the group moved toward the old city hall building, Christine Unutoa-Luafulu, founder of the Ladies of the Pacific Dance Academy, told the crowd that things could have been done differently – and that Leafa should not have died.

“It could have happened to any of our children,” she said.

The young girls Unutoa-Luafulu works with are now afraid to call the police, she said.

“You were supposed to protect us, but you killed our own people. You killed our children. … You could have used less lethal weapons to stop them. Why didn’t you taser them? Why didn’t you pepper spray them?”

Unutoa-Luafulu called on the agency to release the bodycam footage of the shooting unedited, saying: “People have a right to know the truth about what happened on Easter.”

Dozens of people in the crowd carried signs reading “Justice for Easter,” “Don’t shoot,” “Say her name,” or “Forever 16.”

Among those in attendance was Elizabeth Fitka, whose daughter died under mysterious circumstances in a western Alaska village last fall. Fitka said she believes her daughter was murdered and showed up Saturday to support Leafa’s family in their quest for justice.

“We are all united in achieving justice for humanity and for our people,” she said.

Leafa’s mother gave a speech in Samoan outside the courthouse in Nesbett as her family stood nearby. In the group were two large photos of Leafa – one from her 16th birthday party in June.

Before the crowd dispersed, loud shouts of “Easter Leafa!” rang through the air.

Saturday’s march was one of several events planned to honor Leafa’s life and push for change. On Friday, about 100 people gathered on the Delaney Park strip and prayed and sang together and held a moment of silence for Leafa’s life. The Socialism and Liberation Party held a protest rally downtown Friday night to demand the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry into the police.

The family said a candlelight vigil will be held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Greenbriar Apartments in the 4800 block of East 43rd Avenue at Tudor Road.