Visitors to the historic
Pioneer Square are surrounded with many historical buildings and structures, many of which contain plaques and monuments strategically placed throughout the square to attest to this
plaza's volatile history over the decades. Most visitors probably won't notice one particular plaque located on the ground, next to a tree, surrounded by cobblestones along Yessler Way. This plaque memorializes
Kris Kime, a young man who died in a terrible tragedy following a Mardi Gras celebration in Pioneer Square which turned into a riot on February 28, 2001. This dark and inconspicuous plaque contains a biblical quote from John 15:13 (King James Version) that reads:
"No Greater
Love Hath A
Man Than This,
That A Man Lay
Down His Life
For His
Friends..."
February 28, 2001
Kristopher Randal Kime
Age 20
The quote on the plaque refers to the events from the riot and from reading the story behind this tragedy, I found out that Kris had attempted to help a woman in distress during the riot and was attacked by a thug who kicked him in the head numerous times. The police were standing on the sidelines and didn't do anything to help Kris out and a public outcry and backlash against the City of Seattle resulted, which led to ceasing all future Mardi Gras celebrations in the city and a 1.75 million dollar judgement was given to Kris' family. His organs were donated to numerous recipients, so in a way, he lives on in others.