Feds will investigate Seattle police practices
SEATTLE – The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday launched a formal civil rights investigation into the Seattle Police Department following the fatal shooting of a homeless Native American woodcarver and other incidents of force used against minority suspects.
The investigation aims to determine whether Seattle police have a “pattern or practice” of violating civil rights or discriminatory policing, and if so, what they should do to improve, Seattle U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan and the assistant attorney general for the DOJ’s civil rights division, Thomas E. Perez, said Thursday morning.
Perez said the investigation would involve reviewing the police department’s policies, watching officers on the beat, gathering records, and interviewing officers, police brass and community groups.
“Our broader goal is to ensure that the community has an effective, accountable police department that controls crime, ensures respect for the Constitution, and enjoys the trust of the public it is charged with protecting,” he said.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington and 34 other community groups called for the inquiry after a Seattle officer shot and killed woodcarver John T. Williams last summer.
Video from Officer Ian Birk’s patrol car showed Williams crossing the street holding a piece of wood and a small knife, and Birk getting out of the vehicle to pursue him. Off camera, Birk quickly shouts three times for Williams to drop the knife, then fires five shots. The knife was found folded at the scene, but Birk later maintained Williams had threatened him.
Birk resigned from the force but was not charged. A review board found the shooting unjustified.
Other incidents captured on surveillance or police-cruiser video include officers using an anti-Mexican epithet and stomping on a prone Latino man who was mistakenly thought to be a robbery suspect; an officer kicking a nonresisting black youth in a convenience store; and officers tackling and kicking a black man who showed up in a police evidence room to pick up belongings after he was mistakenly released from jail.
Police Chief John Diaz said in a message to employees Thursday that he looks forward to the DOJ’s feedback and knows any recommendations made will be based on “research, best practices and sound principles.”
“I view this as an opportunity to take advantage of an independent audit by a highly respected law enforcement entity,” Diaz said.
“This is a great police department, but even the best police department can benefit from external review if the only result is an increase in public trust.”