Seattle police officer suspended for punching restrained man

SEATTLE – A longtime Seattle police officer has been suspended without pay for 10 days for an incident in which he punched a restrained man in the face 14 times in less than a minute.

The Seattle Times reported 55-year-old David Bauer also kicked the man in the video-recorded incident in South Seattle in 2010.

Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole wrote in a disciplinary report that Bauer used excessive force and violated department policies on lawful conduct. She also wrote that she would have fired Bauer if it had happened during her tenure or under their current policy on use of force. O’Toole became chief in 2014.

The incident came to light last year as city attorneys prepared to release the video as part of a request for videos by a media outlet.