Council members slam Seattle mayor, police chief over protests

Council members slam Seattle mayor, police chief over protests

Seattle City Councilmembers sharply criticized Mayor Jenny Durkan and Police Chief Carmen Best after police used flash bang devices and pepper spray to disperse protesters a day after Durkan and Best said they were trying to de-escalate tensions.

Seattle-area labor council says it could expel police union

Seattle-area labor council says it could expel police union

The Seattle area’s largest labor group says it will expel the Seattle Police Officers Guild later this month unless the union admits that racism is a problem in law enforcement and agrees to address that problem in negotiating its next contract with the city.

Citizen journalist captures attention of mayor, police chief in midst of protests

Citizen journalist captures attention of mayor, police chief in midst of protests

SEATTLE – City officials have turned to local citizen journalists to learn how to reduce confrontations between police and peaceful demonstrators.Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best met with a man Wednesday night who has been covering the ongoing protest for several days.Citizen journalist Omari Salisbury works with Converge Media and Africatown.He captured tense moments between protestors and police Monday night.

Amid protests, some call for radical changes including defunding Seattle Police

Amid protests, some call for radical changes including defunding Seattle Police

SEATTLE -- The Seattle City Council held a special meeting to hear from residents and people involved in the protests so far.Several council members are clearly not happy with the Seattle Police Department.Some residents who spoke up during public comment asked the council for some radical changes, including defunding the police department.For days and days, we’ve seen thousands march and demonstrate peacefully - and not peacefully - not only for George Floyd but to fight racial injustices playing out across the US for generations.“Every day I feel like I walk around like a possible obituary,” Willard Jimerson of said.Seattle police say they have had to use force when events turned dangerous.But during Monday’s protest, some say water bottles thrown at police should not have lead officers to overreact with pepper spray and tear gas.“You have the power to create actual actionable change.

Seattle mayor, police chief vow to review tactics amid continuing protests

Seattle mayor, police chief vow to review tactics amid continuing protests

SEATTLE -- Seattle’s mayor and police chief promised a large crowd of protesters Tuesday to review the department’s use of pepper spray and flash-bang grenades to break up a crowd of peaceful protesters the night before, encouraging them to keep marching as long as they do not do damage.“Your voices holding me accountable are important and you should continue to raise them,” Mayor Jenny Durkan told those assembled outside the city’s Emergency Operations Center downtown. “We want you to march. ...

12,000 complaints filed against Seattle Police officers after weekend protests, riots

12,000 complaints filed against Seattle Police officers after weekend protests, riots

SEATTLE -- The office tasked with investigating Seattle Police misconduct has received roughly 12,000 complaints following weekend protests that were largely peaceful before rioters and outside groups came in to loot and destroy.A news release from the Office of Police Accountability, an independent office within SPD that investigates police misconduct complaints, said there are 10 alleged incidents that have garnered the most complaints:

Seattle cop removes fellow officer’s knee from neck of man detained during riots, video shows

Seattle cop removes fellow officer’s knee from neck of man detained during riots, video shows

SEATTLE -- A Seattle police officer was seen on video pulling a fellow cop’s knee off the neck of a man who was being detained among a group of looters Saturday night.Crosscut journalist Matt McKnight captured the act as looters raided a T-Mobile store during demonstrations for George Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis last week as he pleaded for air after a white police officer used a similar method to pin him down.The video shows looters streaming out of the store as police arrive on bicycles.

Officer who punched handcuffed woman defends his actions: 'I used reasonable and necessary force'

Officer who punched handcuffed woman defends his actions: 'I used reasonable and necessary force'

SEATTLE - It’s a moment in judgement that derailed Adley Shepherd’s career at Seattle Police.But nearly five years after he punched a handcuffed woman during an arrest, Shepherd is still steadfast in his convictions that he acted appropriately in that moment.Shepherd’s case has been in the spotlight since the June 2014 incident, but just last month a federal court judge singled his case out as an example of a lack of accountability in the system.Federal Judge James Robart took issue with the fact that an arbitrator reversed the city’s decision to fire him.

Seattle police chief finalists make last pitch for job

Seattle police chief finalists make last pitch for job

After a week of surprise twists and turns that landed a hometown favorite back in the running, the three finalists for Seattle police chief will make their final pitch to Mayor Jenny Durkan on Friday.