SEATTLE -- City leaders expressed shock and disappointment Friday at video that first aired on KIRO 7 Eyewitness News showing two Seattle police officers kicking a man as he lay on the ground. The man was detained during a robbery investigation last month.
The two officers have been reassigned as police conduct an investigation amid a firestorm of reaction. And another controversy has arisen over why a Seattle TV station declined to air the video. [See Why Was Police Video Not Shown Earlier?]
The racially charged videotape shows officers stomping on the innocent detainee after they responded to several 911 calls for a report of an armed robbery in the parking lot of a night club near Lake Union.
In the video, a male officer is seen kicking the man who had been ordered to the ground while threatening him with racial slurs. Shortly after, a female officer kicked the man in the back of his leg...
[Full Article]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-aCVrG-M_0
tvnews0419 — May 07, 2010 — The Seattle Police Department is conducting an internal investigation into an officer who allegedly roughed up an innocent detainee, and it was all caught on tape.
Seattle police detained three people including one Hispanic man in their hunt for possible armed robbery suspects. The video shows a man lying face down without handcuffs and not under arrest.
On the video, you can hear an officer telling the man: "You got me? I'm going to beat the (expletive) Mexican piss out of you homey. You feel me?"
Seconds later, the man moves his hand, appearing to wipe his eye. The officer allegedly kicks him in the head and wipes his boot on his hand. The video shows a female officer allegedly stomp on his leg.
Police realize they detained the wrong man, lift him up, and let him go.
In all fairness:
"Detective Shandy Cobane gave a tearful statement expressing remorse for not only his derogatory comments, but for shedding a negative light on the Seattle police department.
"At no time did I ever dream that I would do anything that would bring such negative notoriety to my department," Cobane said. "Sadly, I did."
(Source: komonews.com)
Click on link to see full apology: http://www.komonews.com/news/local/93...
[Webmaster - The Seattle Police Department seems to have a history of police brutality. See the following video...]
(March 2, 2009)
15-Year-Old Girl Beat By Seattle Police
A King County sheriff’s deputy kicks a 15-year-old girl, slams her to the floor of a jail cell, strikes her and pulls her hair in violence captured on videotape.
Prosecutors released the surveillance video Friday in the assault case against Deputy Paul Schene, who is accused of using excessive force on the girl. Schene, 31, pleaded not guilty to fourth-degree assault in Superior Court on Thursday.
The incident last November began after the girl was brought in for an auto theft investigation, according to court documents. The footage shows the attack beginning after the girl enters the cell at suburban SeaTac City Hall and kicks off one of her shoes toward the deputy.
“We believe this case is beyond just police misconduct, it’s criminal misconduct,” King County Prosecutor Daniel Satterberg said. “This is clearly excessive force.”
Schene was investigated previously for shooting two people — killing one — in the line of duty in 2002 and 2006. Both times his actions were found to be justified, said Ian Goodhew, prosecutor’s deputy chief of staff.Calls by The Associated Press to Schene’s lawyer, Anne Bremner, were not immediately returned Friday. Bremner, however, released a statement to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in which she said the video does not tell the whole story. Bremner had asked Judge Catherine Shaffer not to release the video to the media.
“As we argued to the judge, it will inflame public opinion and will severely impact the deputy’s right to a fair trial,” Bremner said.
In the video, a deputy kicks the girl, pushing her back toward the wall. The deputy then strongly backs the girl against the wall and slams her to the floor by grabbing her hair. A second deputy enters the holding cell, while the first deputy holds the girl face down to the floor. The first deputy appears to hit the girl with his hands. The girl is then lifted up and led out of the cell while the first deputy holds her hair...
