This video has been making the rounds here in Seattle. A cop tried to cite a few teenagers for jaywalking, and when they resisted, the cop punched a teenage girl in the face. INSANE. I’m not a cop-hater, but videos like this remind me why a lot of folks are.

The full story, from KOMO News, is after the jump.

SEATTLE — Seattle police are investigating what they call an assault of an officer in South Seattle.
However, a police officer is seen punching a 17-year-old girl in the face during the incident captured by a video camera on Monday.

According to Seattle police, the incident began when an officer spotted a man jaywalking in the 3100 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way S. at approximately 3:10 p.m. The man was some 15 feet away from a pedestrian overpass, police said.

The officer was talking to the man when he saw four young women jaywalk across the same street at the same spot. The officer asked the women to step over to his patrol car, but the women were being “verbally antagonistic toward the officer,” according to officials.

One of the women, later identified as a 19 year old, began to walk away from the scene despite the officer’s instructions, prompting the officer to walk over to her and escort her back to his patrol car.

The girl then “began to tense up her arm, and pull away from the officer while yelling at him,” investigators said. The officer told the girl to place her hands on his patrol car, but she refused. When the officer tried to grab hold of her, “she pulled away and twisted, breaking free of the officer’s grip several times,” the blotter report said.

When the officer tried to handcuff the girl, another girl, this one 17 years old, intervened and placed her hands on the officer’s arm, “causing the officer to believe she was attempting to physically affect the first subject’s escape,” police said.

The officer pushed back the second girl, but the girl came back at him. The officer then punched her, police said.

The officer then handcuffed the 19-year-old woman. Other officers arrived and helped handcuff the second girl.

Both teens were cited for jaywalking. The older suspect was booked into the King County Jail for investigation of obstructing an officer. The 17-year-old girl was booked into the Youth Service Center for investigation of assault of an officer.

Nobody was injured during the incident, police said.

Seattle police have not reviewed the video of the incident. Sgt. Sean Whitcomb said investigators may review the video on Tuesday.

Whitcomb said the officer involved in the incident sent out a call for help, prompting other officers to rush to his aid.

All use of force on the job is reviewed, Whitcomb said, as use of force is under the officer’s discretion. He added that punching is a trained tactic.

“There will be a thorough investigation into this incident,” he said.

52 Responses to “Don’t Fuck with the Seattle Cops”

1. FITZGERALDINE says:

   June 18, 2010 at 6:16 pm

   I'm amazed that everyone thinks that these girls deserve this! Their fucking teenagers. I would be freaking out too if some cop was first of all going to ticket me for crossing the god damn street, and then for trying to arrest me when what? what did the first girl do that had this cop all over her. I would be upset as well if a man that out weighed me by 50 pounds was shoving me into a car, and cranking my arms behind my back. Both girls were just panicking. That cop was frustrated and LOST CONTROL. He didn't even give the girl in pink a verbal warning first. WHO PUNCHES A 17 YEAR OLD GIRL???

   Reply
2. Jack says:

   August 15, 2010 at 10:41 pm

   First of all, by the story here. The cop was in his rights. Jaywalking is a crime. I.E. Walking from one corner to the opposite corner instead of walking to the next corner ‘using the crosswalk’ You block just about all traffic doing that bs. And there was a pedestrian overpass. She should of taken that. And if she was taught anything from her parents, it would be repect authority figures. So I guess she never got that lesson until that moment.

   Those girls should of never backtalk to the officer and just followed the order. “He was interested in their safety of not getting hit by a car or van or any other vehicle. Just imagine if he did nothing and they did get hit. He would of gotten hammered big by the media and his station for not protecting their safty. And thats why there a pedestrian overpass. Punish the girls parents for not proper training them to behave themselves.

   Reply

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