Police Chief Defends Charges Of Race Bias By His Officers

The city’s police chief says his officers should not be judged based on newspaper accounts of claims and lawsuits alleging the department has a race relations problem.

“Open-ended allegations without judicial review are not consistent with the foundations of this country - that you are innocent until proven guilty,” Chief Ron Wood said. “It does a disservice to sworn officers and nonsworn officers, too.”

Several citizens have made complaints against the department, and two legal claims have been carried forward into lawsuits.

In the latest suit, filed last week, two black brothers say they were unlawfully detained at gunpoint and handcuffed by Federal Way police officers. Kenneth and Tony Russell are asking for $1.5 million each.

City Attorney Londi Lindell has said the stop was justified because officers had reason to believe the Russells were involved in a drug deal - although she admits the Russells had done nothing wrong.

Earlier, James McDonald, a state liquor control officer and an American Indian, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit and a $500,000 claim, contending a masked undercover Federal Way police officer illegally stopped him while he was watching a nightclub’s front door.

Multimillion-dollar claims against the city have also been filed by the nightclub’s Korean-American owner and by the widow of a man of Samoan descent who died while in police custody.

The lawsuits and outstanding claims have led to several conferences between city officials and local and regional black leaders - and to increased training and efforts at communication. xxxx