SPD officer who punched teen in jaywalking incident cleared of using excessive force

[Newsjock]

Source: Seattle Times

Seattle police Officer Ian Walsh, whose videotaped punch of a teenage girl during a jaywalking arrest drew national attention, has been cleared by the department of using excessive force.

Walsh, 39, was exonerated after an internal investigation, the Police Department said in a written statement released Tuesday.

... The June 14 incident was one of several cited last week by the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington and 34 community and civil-rights organizations in a request to the U.S. Justice Department to investigate whether the Police Department has engaged in a pattern of violating the civil rights of suspects, particularly minorities.

The girl who was punched, Angel L. Rosenthal, 17 at the time, is African American. Walsh is white.

Read more: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2013620337_jaywalking08m.html

[hlthe2b]

1. and the public should just accept and not question????

Geebus...

[hayu_lol]

2. We had a very long thread in GD on this one when it happened...

the girl who got punched got in the officer's face while he was attempting to cuff the prime offender. She would not back off and actually, at one point, got between the officer and the person he was trying to cuff.

He really had no choice but to get her out of the way.

[hlthe2b]

4. Ahh, good to know... thanks

[quakerboy]

5. Disagree.

I was around, though I don't recall whether I posted. But from the video, it was clear that he had other options than striking this woman.

[TheMadMonk]

7. Yup. He could have bottled, aborted the arrest and bolted with his tail between his legs.

With serious negative long term consequences for policing in the area. And almost certainly an involuntary transfer for himself, if not a career change.

It was very clear from the video that the girls were doing their damndest to spark an incident with the cop.

The major mistake was the cop not going harder sooner.

[quakerboy]

17. That someone wants an "incident"

is in my opinion not a valid excuse to give it to them. I saw other options than the action he took. I don't care if I am popular in believing that. I think he made a wrong choice. That doesn't excuse the woman for making wrong choices. But 2 wrongs do not make a right, as the old saying goes.

[timo]

16. yeah I know

he couldve maced her or tazed her, interfere with an arrest and you get what you get!!

[awoke_in_2003]

8. she actually grabbed him...

on the gun side. Never a smart thing to do.

[Swagman]

9. could have shot her. Probably have got off.

[Ruperto31]

12. "He had no choice?" Are you kidding?

He was "forced" to punch her in the face? Cop shill.

[ZombieHorde]

14. "He really had no choice but to get her out of the way."

No free will? You may be right about that.

[gateley]

3. Self Delete -- hayu-loi posted info I wasn't aware of. Thanks. nt

[Very_Boring_Name]

6. Good old police internal investigation

When it comes to the police investigating their own, "suspended with pay" is pretty much the harshest penalty you can ever expect.

[melm00se]

10. watch the video

and review the escalation of force guidelines (these are pretty much standard everywhere in the USA):

- voice (ask nicely 1st; then forcefully order)
- soft hands (pushing, open hands, no striking blows)
- hard hands (closed hand strikes)
- pepper spray/mace
- impact weapons (billy club, baton etc)
- non-lethal weapons (bean bag rounds, tasers)
- firearm (deadly force)

after watching the video tape:

did the officer go thru each level before proceeding to the next?
did he stop the escalation of force after the threat had been removed?

from my perspective of the video, it appears that the officer went thru each level before proceeding to the next and once the threat withdrew he stopped the escalation and continued to try and cuff the other woman.

now, had he pursued the woman he punched and gone up to the next level, then yes, he used excessive force but he went to the level to remove the threat and stopped.

[Romulox]

11. Why did the officer have some much trouble cuffing the suspect?

He seems like he either needs to hit the weight room, or review some basic police procedures. :shrug:

But that girl deserved to get clocked. Officer Jello-arm's punch barely dazed her, at any rate! :shrug: :shrug:

[Ruperto31]

13. "That girl deserved to get clocked"?

Do you work for the Seattle Police Department?

[BakedAtAMileHigh]

15. well, he certainly doesn't work at a woman's shelter

Obviously.