OUR TEAM
Led by Experience. Built for Justice.
RJPMC is a nonhierarchical, Black-led civil rights clinic founded by and for families impacted by police violence. We operate with a horizontal leadership structure rooted in consensus, compassion, and collective power.
We believe that lived experience—not titles—defines leadership. Every team member brings a deep commitment to truth, justice, and community survival.
Co-Founders &
Co-Directors
RJPMC is led by two Co-Founders who make decisions collaboratively and unanimously, ensuring equitable, transparent leadership at every level.
Nickeia Hunter
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Chair & President, RJPMC Board
Relentless Organizer. Fierce Defender. Architect of Change.
Nickeia Hunter is a nationally recognized civil rights leader, labor strategist, and advocate for police accountability. She co-founded RJPMC after her brother, Carlos Hunter, was killed by police in 2019. Her leadership is shaped by personal tragedy and powered by an unshakable commitment to systemic change.
Appointed by Governor Jay Inslee to the Washington Criminal Justice Training Commission, Nickeia holds key roles across multiple statewide coalitions. She is a co-founding member and Treasurer of the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability, a former Vice President and Legal Redress Chair of the NAACP Vancouver Branch, and an organizer with the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters.
In every space she enters—whether courtrooms, city halls, or labor sites—Nickeia mobilizes truth, policy, and people. Her work defends the working class, protects impacted families, and demands structural justice.
Caitlin Skurky
Co-Founder & Legal Director
Secretary & Treasurer, RJPMC Board
Caitlin Skurky (they/them) is an abolitionist attorney and trauma-informed advocate who co-founded RJPMC to close the gap between survivors of police violence and access to justice. As Legal Director, Caitlin assesses incoming cases, connects clients with participating attorneys, and ensures that families are equipped with the documentation needed to pursue legal action.
A graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School, Caitlin served as Editor in Chief of a law review and graduated second in their class, earning multiple honors for legal scholarship and leadership in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Their legal work spans civil rights, Indigenous rights, environmental justice, and animal law.
Before entering the legal field, Caitlin worked as a social worker supporting foster youth and trafficking survivors. That experience informs their deep critique of “soft policing” embedded in social services. Today, they continue their legal practice at Kneupper & Covey PC, where they specialize in civil rights litigation and regularly take on RJPMC-referred cases.
Shelly Washington
Shelly Washington is a passionate advocate against police brutality, deeply committed to justice and accountability. While she has long been active in marches and protests, her voice grew even stronger following the tragic killing of her nephew, Kevin Peterson Jr., by Clark County sheriff’s deputies in Vancouver, WA, on October 29, 2020. Since then, Shelly has dedicated countless hours to speaking before legislators, pushing for policy changes that can prevent future tragedies and save lives. Her mission is clear: to hold those in power accountable and to help restore trust between communities and the systems meant to protect them.