Union Street, between 21st Avenue and 22nd Avenue, will now be known as D’Vonne Pickett Jr. Way. The Seattle City Council unanimously approved the resolution last week. The beloved community leader was tragically shot and killed in October 19 of last year. An unveiling ceremony for the street signs will take place this week.
The Mayor’s Office and Seattle City Council budgets will cover the roughly $3,000 cost of creating and installing the signs. The resolution passed with all council members’ support. The thoughtful resolution was approved at a council meeting on Feb. 14. At the meeting, Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda said the name change will be a way to continue to honor and remember his legacy.
Pickett was shot and killed outside his business, The Postman, in Seattle’s Central District neighborhood. The Postman, the family’s shipping business, largely came from Pickett’s grandfather, who worked for the postal service for 37 years. A day after the shooting, police arrested Ashton Christopher Leffall. Leffall has since been charged with murder, robbery, assault, and firearm possession.
The 31-year-old was known throughout the area as an inspiration to not only his own three children but youth all over the Central District. Pickett was proud of his roots in the Central District and his family vowed to keep his memory and legacy alive. The Holiday Hope Drive is supporting 30 families across Washington this year, a total of 70 children who have lost a parent to gun violence, according to RISE.
The Seattle Department of Transportation will manufacture, install and maintain honorary signs on the 2100 block of East Union Street. Mayor Bruce Harrell issued a statement after his killing in confirming the loss of D’Vonne Pickett Jr, and noted Pickett’s business honoring the legacy of a family member, his service as a youth sports coach and his work mentoring young people to “shape the next generation of leaders in our city.”
