Mike Wang, the man who was killed in a July 28 hit-and-run on Dexter Ave in South Lake Union, had been working as a photographer for PATH, documenting the work of the global health nonprofit. But Wang got his start in documentary photography during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, according to a 2006 profile in the Ballard News Tribune:
Wang grew in New York City and lived in Queens and Brooklyn. He took a photography class at Queensborough Community College where he was mentored by Jules Allen.
Wang then went to China and became involved in the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989.
— Advertisement —
“I was teaching at the People’s University in Beijing. I went to the protest and joined in. I took a lot of pictures, it was my first stab at documentary photography,” Wang said.
Because the water quality was hard, it made dots on black and white film. He decided to take his film to the only custom photo lab in all of China.
On the way to the lab, Wang passed some soldiers guarding Tiananmen Square and took a picture of one of them.
The solider confronted Wang and took his camera away, along with a bag containing 80 rolls of film he took during the protest. He made efforts to get his camera and film back but was unsuccessful.
A memorial fund for Wang has been set up.
Police are still seeking help finding the driver, who fled the scene after making a quick left turn from Dexter to Thomas and striking Wang:
The suspect vehicle has yet to be located. Detectives are looking for a mid-1990′s to mid-2000 beige to brown colored American-made SUV, possibly with tinted windows and a silver luggage rack. There may be slight or moderate front end damage or no visible damage at all.
TCIS detectives are looking for any information related to this incident as well as witnesses who have not yet spoken to police.
Anyone with information about this incident or who may know the identity or whereabouts of the suspect is asked to call Detective Bacon at (206) 684-8932. Anonymous tips are welcome.
