Prior to the launch of an investigation into his officers’ response to a late-night “dance party” protest that wound its way through the streets of Capitol Hill early Sunday morning before coming to a halt on E Madison in the wake of six arrests and the deployment of pepper spray, new East Precinct Commander Capt. Ron Wilson told CHS the actions taken Pride weekend were the result of a culmination of observations made by police that the situation was about to become violent.
“We have the responsibility to ensure the peace on both sides,” Wilson said Monday afternoon in an interview with CHS. Wilson said he stands by the decisions made in Sunday’s early hours.
CHS’s report from the scene of the Pride weekend conflict between marchers and police
Citing an unnamed source, the Stranger has reported that the Seattle Police Department disciplinary office is beginning an investigation into possible officer misconduct during the arrests. The Seattle Times confirmed the report.
Wilson, part of the contingent of police following the crowd of more than 50 people Sunday morning as marchers circled and attempted to enter areas near the various Pride beer gardens operating along E Pike, said his officers reported that individuals wearing backpacks in the crowd were starting to put on bandanas and that the dance and marching event began to take “the same nature and look as what happened last year.”
In 2011, CHS reported on a group of more than 100 hundred people dancing in the streets of Pike/Pine and on Broadway — as well as busting glass and tangling with police in riot gear. One person was arrested. Fear of a repeat had East Precinct deploying extra officers and keeping an “emphasis patrol” on hand to “designate resources for developing situations.”
Wilson said there was “talk of breaking windows amongst the crowd” again in 2012 and that the crowd had marched around Pike/Pine and Broadway knocking over construction and business signs, dragging garbage cans into the street and throwing firecrackers near officers as it arrived at 10th and E Pike and the line of SPD officers in riot gear before marching off to E Madison where the SWAT teams eventually moved in and the arrests and pepper spraying went down.
“I don’t believe the actions we took were out of line,” Wilson, newly named as head of the East Precinct as of early May, told CHS.
Wilson’s new role has not yet been announced by the Seattle Police Department but he formally took over the job last month from Capt. James Dermody who has shifted over to command West Precinct. Dermody came to the East Precinct during sweeping changes made when John Diaz was still acting in an interim capacity as the Seattle Chief of Police. Wilson comes to the East Precinct a 36-year veteran of SPD. His previous role was to head the formation of SPD’s Community Outreach Section. “What I want to take from my 36 years of experience with the department is I really want us to build a better relationship between the police department and the community we serve,” Wilson said.
Capt. Ron Wilson, new commander of the East Precinct (Image: SPD)
Wilson’s introduction to his new neighborhood is marked by an issue that seems likely to put that outreach effort to the test. He’s slated to attend Thursday night’s meeting of the East Precinct Advisory Council where the agenda is expected to focus on recent gun violence including the unsolved shooting death of Justin Ferrari. While the incident this weekend might pale in comparison, it will likely add weight to SPD’s ongoing problems around use of force and the Department of Justice’s frustrated call for reforms throughout the department.
Wilson said he has no concerns about the actions of Lt. Gregg Calder, a key figure in much of the criticism leveled at the police response to the march for his use of pepper spray in the incident.
According to Wilson, Calder recognized an individual marching in the crowd from an earlier incident. Wilson said Calder saw a man walking with the group “who had thrown eggs and flares” at police — and hit Calder — during a previous protest.
“Lt. Calder had been hit with an egg and recognized that person and pointed out that he knew the person,” Wilson said. “I think that person vanished into the crowd,” he said. UPDATE: Clarification — Wilson said the man Calder spotted disappeared into the crowd. He was not the man who allegedly kicked Calder.
“So it was at that point, given all that discussion about breaking windows, the masking up, it’s time to say, ‘OK, we’re going to contain this better by moving them out of the street, onto the sidewalk,'” Wilson said of the decision to move the crowd out of the E Madison roadway.
Wilson also said while he did not see the incident because he was with the SPD officers trailing the crowd, he has no information to dispute the report that Calder was kicked by one of the marchers, helping to set off the melee.
“I believe it’s factual, the person did it, moved back into the crowd and then reappeared and they tried to arrest him,” Wilson said.
A widely viewed video of the night’s events focuses on Calder’s role in the melee. It purports to show that the suspect charged with assault in the incident was on the sidewalk and did not kick Calder before the suspect was sprayed with pepper spray and taken into custody. In the video, Calder can be seen approaching the suspect and firing pepper spray at the 24-year-old. The video does not clearly show any interactions between the two prior to the use of the spray but it does show the initial use of pepper spray when one of the members of the crowd jumps on top of a parked car.
According to Wilson, Calder was the “Incident Commander for the Pride Events” in the East Precinct that night.
Wilson said he agrees with the decision to push the crowd from the street and that waiting for
the group to march farther would not have brought things to a peaceful end.
“We’ve had that happen and look at the response we’ve gotten,” Wilson said. “We still get criticized because we took enforcement action. We are still blamed as the instigators however the people whose property gets damaged aren’t very happy with us at all.”
Wilson said he expects the plan to be the same Friday night at a rally to protest the police response.
“It’s a tremendous strain on budget and resources to have to address this,” Wilson said. “We’re going to be there to make sure it remains peaceful.”
An element Wilson said he wants made clear was that his officers were not targeting the group because the marchers were LGBT.
“I’ve read… all the different publications that I can find online. I’ve read the comments on all of them. There is a lot of misinformation out there. There is a lot of inaccurate information,” Wilson said.
Wilson said his officers were not “gay bashing” and that several Pike/Pine gay-focused business owners requested an increased police presence following last year’s protest activities when some patrons of the Wildrose beer garden were threatened by the marching crowd.
Wilson also said that it’s not true that the most violent act of the night ended up being perpetrated by SPD.
“We didn’t stop the people,” Wilson said. “That I think really has to be laid out. We didn’t put an end to their march. All we told them to do was to get out of the street. And most everyone complied.”
Of the six people arrested Sunday morning, two were booked for hindering of law enforcement, one for pedestrian interference and obstructing, two for pedestrian interference and the sixth for investigation of assault. That 24-year-old male was, along with a woman booked for hindering, part of the Chase 5 group that CHS reported were found not guilty of trespassing earlier this year after being arrested during a fall 2011 protest inside the Broadway Chase bank.
Four of the six face hearings in Seattle Municipal Court later this week while the case of a fifth has been passed to the City Attorney’s office to determine possible charges. Meanwhile, charges have not yet been filed against the 24-year-old hauled in for assault, according to court records.
‘…but I sure hope the Justice Department ain’t surfing the net today or we’re gonna get another pants-down spanking.’
Once again, Lt. Gregg Calder leaves a demonstration with egg on his face.
After yet another example of spray-happy SPD cops, I think the theme song for Capitol Hill should be “I’ve grown accustomed to your Mace.”
After reading the SPD blotter report and watching multiple videos that have shown up online that the SPD is, yet again, out of their minds.
Way to go SPD! Go ahead and be proactively violent against a non violent celebration. Next year they should start at the Seattle Center and pepper spray everyone there. It’s bound to happen again…
How about we turn Cal Anderson into a giant dance party instead so that there’s a safe and controlled space for queer youth and adults to celebrate….
etaoin shrdlu I missed you!
This is a tough one to judge. We are talking in the court of public opinion. I know that some of my neighbors will not agree with my initial outlook on the SPD and may even think I’m naive. In general, I trust people. If I have people that have been hired to vet applicants for the SPD I would expect that the occasional bad apple to get through, but not all of them. I know if I was in the place of the officers involved I would have not had the self-restraint they have shown. I like the song title though.
Oh please. This wasn’t “queer youth and adults celebrating”. There were thousands of people all around doing a plenty fine job of that without tangling with the police. And you don’t need black bandanas covering your face for that.
Everyone’s so convinced the SPD is so bash-happy– then WhyTF do you get in their face and push your luck? Unless you’re INCREDIBLY STUPID– or maybe looking for a fight? And then you get pissed and whine when you get it? Oh, boo-hoo.
“I’ve read… all the different publications that I can find online. I’ve read the comments on all of them. There is a lot of misinformation out there. There is a lot of inaccurate information,” Wilson said.
There is a lot of misinformation out there. Most of it’s coming from SPD and then fed to the commercial media and the local networks, and that story keeps changing, doesn’t it? Caldwell’s original statement was that the man he pepper-sprayed and then threw into the street and arrested had just assaulted him. Remember? Kicked in the knee…that explanation that none of the dozen or so videotapes don’t show. And now it’s the old, “I recognized him from an earlier assault.” That still doesn’t explain why he attacked the man and pepper-sprayed him, and remind me again why that young woman who was riding on her friends shoulders was pepper sprayed and then thrown to the ground and arrested? Heh…there’s a pretty long list of things that simply don’t add up, SPD, and I demand that you take responsibility for your actions, stop scapegoating the young people, and use some freakin’ discretion and common sense next time you put on your uniform.
Glad to see the SPD be more proactive, they did absolutely the right thing.
Yup. Amazing, isn’t it?
Wilson didn’t say the person Calder spotted was the man who allegedly kicked Calder. Calder’s spotting of the man he recognized from another incident was one of the factors Wilson identified as leading to the decision to move the protesters from the street.
This is a non-story.
I was standing in front of the march on Madison and 14th watching it proceed up the hill towards me on Madison when suddenly a police SUV pulled in front of the marchers, blocking the march. Officers jumped out and immediately apprehended several individuals.
As a former MP, it was impressive to see the operational efficiency and speed with which the protestors were halted, subdued and dispersed. This was not a haphazard event. The kettling spot was well chosen. If the officers had waited as the march proceeded up the hill, the marchers would have enjoyed mobility that would have made it difficult (if not impossible) for the police to put the march down.
The officers did not expect to encounter resistance or they would have worn protective gear and used batons. Once the marchers were kettled and sprayed, the police appeared to seek to de-escalate the situation.
I’m unsure about the legality of pre-emptively suppressing and apprehending protestors because they had the potential to commit illegal acts.
The take-away from this event is that if you join a protest march, especially an informal one, you should expect to be assaulted and punished. I fought for this country to defend the Constitution and Americans’ right to free speech. This is not what I fought for.
Thank you for your post and service.
Actually, most of the people were not wearing bandanas. This was not a black bloc. I pulled my scarf up to cover my face after I saw a cop (maybe this Calder dude?) marching around self-importantly with the pepper-spray on the ready. Covering your face in a situation like this really does have a certain utilitarian function…
“I’m unsure about the legality of pre-emptively suppressing and apprehending protestors because they had the potential to commit illegal acts. “
It is called, The Doctrine of Prior Restraint
Ironic America’s wars are described as protecting freedom when the experience of average Americans is a reduction of freedom.
oh BULLshit, “another angry gay” You don’t need a “scarf” on a relatively warm June night. You’re a fucking anarchist just like the rest of the folks SPD targeted and you need to get the hell out of our hood and quit fucking things up for the rest of us.
So…what does that mean, Jseattle?
He pepper sprayed the man on the sidewalk because someone else in the crowd looked like someone who threw eggs and a flare at him?
Don’t be bitter just because it makes no sense.
Im pretty sure the local noise ordinance will kill that idea fast.
http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/Enforcement/Noise_Abatement/Maxim
Unless you plan to kill the party by 10pm.
I was PREPARED with the scarf. This was not my first time at an unpermitted march.
Looks like they had it comming
Thanks for continuing to cover this – some stuff nobody else is getting, for sure.
Capt. Wilson was also in charge of the SPD response to the Northwest African-American Museum last Tuesday, where his cops assaulted and arrested multiple people, including a 70 year old black man and a 17 year old woman. Given that he was at the queer dance party as well, I can see that he’s putting his past experience as head of SPD’s Community Outreach division to great use.
If you cant prepared with a scarf, then you basically came looking for trouble. You knew this wasnt legal, knew that it would provoke the police and probably felt the hostile environment from within the crowd. At that point, you should have kept your distance.
Similar thing happened during the John T. Williams march, when the anarchists wanted to take the march to the nearest police precinct, over half of the crowd went home. Why? Because they did what they came there to do, which was march, vent, then go home. Had everyone stayed, the anarchists would have marched us into a direct confrontation with the police.
The Anarchist’s always try to goat the cops into arresting them with cameras in hand. I don’t believe anything they do or say. I have no doubt that he kicked the cop.
What were the people doing illegally and what orders from the police did they choose to ignore?
I agree. And the cameras are manipulated to only show a certain perspective so Phil can make lots of baseless claims about the police.
The anarchist groups DON’T have the same motivations as the rest of the Seattle lefty folks–that’s why they screwed up the May Day parades by doing their aggro BS, smashing windows and wearing their little masks and black hoodies. There’s no reason for anyone else to feel like there’s some kinship with them, because they’re on a different track from the rest of us. They hate peace-loving Seattle liberals as much as they hate the cops–we might as well stop pretending we have some commonality. I hate the way the Seattle cops overreact to things, but I also can’t stand it when some twitty jerk is just trying to be as nasty as possible, just to provoke a nasty reaction…
“We are particularly troubled and surprised that the City has not included any measures to respond to the issues of discriminatory policing, community engagement, or the City’s accountability system,” wrote Jonathan Smith, chief of the Special Litigation Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C.
Why are you assuming that they did anything illegal?
Thanks Lifeguard. It’s amazing how many people aren’t even tracking DoJ’s investigation of SPD.
I guess there’s no such thing as free speech in Seattle these days, or the right to peacefully assemble. If any the charges are not dropped it will be a travesty.
Interesting … so in a black bloc, anarchists run from arrest, whereas in any other situation — say one where, regardless of politics or the actions people are taking, anyone who’s been in a march knows there’s the possibility of pepper spray and dresses appropriately (i’m looking at you, mask-phobic pepper-spray victim-blamers) — they “goad” the police into arresting them.
Some of you really can’t make up your mind, can you? You’re so threatened by people who challenge the false sense of security you feel in this city that you regurgitate what the spd and the national corporate press feed you at any given moment, despite its inherent illogic. Maybe sometimes people aren’t simply running from arrest — maybe they’re smart and they know submitting to the beatings of cops and the violence of incarceration accomplishes *nothing.* Maybe they’re not goading the police — maybe on the one hand they want to live a little and f*cking dance in the streets, and on the other they’re f*cking sick of seattle cops beating unarmed men of color on isolated street corners (believe it, whiteys: not everything makes the news) or laughing about breaking their nightsticks on someone’s body, and this makes them really — righteously — enraged.
And maybe they’re not some interloping “out-of-towners” threatening your hunkydory community where all is bliss. Maybe some of us have lived here for ages, too, or are from here but got gentrified out. Maybe a lot of us aren’t white and wish you would actually meet us so you would stop assuming we are. Maybe some of are trans cap hill residents who have been recently assaulted on capitol hill. Maybe some of us are HIV+ and we’ve had our ADAP funding cut. Maybe many of us are among those physically assaulted by smirking cops (inc in non-protest settings), followed home and stalked by cops trying to exert their control/ masculinity through intimidation, or told by east precinct cops “I could buy a woman’s happiness for $20” while they violently arrest 6+ women (december 6, 2011).
In fact, every last one of those things is true. But until you step out of your bubble of presumption and simply engage with some of us and maybe, just maybe join us in a little dance party from time to time, you would never, ever know it.
Here’s to loving your community.
I’m pretty sure it was the cops who showed up looking for a confrontation. They didn’t show up because there were reports of problems. The showed up ahead of time with armor, mace, and clubs.
“You don’t need a “scarf” on a relatively warm June night.”
Were you out that night? It was pretty fucking cold.
“You’re a fucking anarchist”
Is there anything illegal about holding certain beliefs? Not all anarchists cause property damage. In fact most don’t. We’re definitely rabble rousers, though. Last time I checked, that wasn’t illegal either.
“,,,you need to get the hell out of our hood and quit fucking things up for the rest of us.”
How long have you lived here? Apparently not long enough to know that queer radicals have been on Capitol Hill for decades. Are you one of those yuppie assholes who is gentrifying OUR neighborhood? I’ve got an idea: if you don’t like that there are still some radicals and freaks who live on Capitol Hill, go the fuck away. I here Bellevue is great for people who don’t like to challenge the status quo.
You’re so dumb. “Proactive”?! Yeah, beating people and pepper spraying them when they haven’t even committed any crime is really proactive. They were SO proactive that charges were dropped against the person alleged to have assaulted an officer. Nobody arrested is in jail! Fucking BRILLIANT!!!
Charges were dropped against the one you “have no doubt” assaulted an officer.
Charges against the person who allegedly assaulted an officer were dropped. The police did not file a proper report. They instead handed the judge a one-sentence hand-written statement. The judge dismissed it because of no evidence.
“Capt. Wilson was also in charge of the SPD response to the Northwest African-American Museum last Tuesday, where his cops assaulted and arrested multiple people, including a 70 year old black man and a 17 year old woman.”
Might want to do your research on that one.
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2012/06/arrests-follow-h
This occurred last Tuesday, when the Mayor got heckled. The hours of operation state that the museum is closed on Monday & Tuesday (mostly likely to save money). So the place was basically opened, only for the town hall meeting and once the mayor left, it became closed. Since McGinn left shortly after 5pm and the people who were arrested, were arrested at around 7pm, it tells me they refused to leave the museum and thats why they were arrested.
“I guess there’s no such thing as free speech in Seattle these days, or the right to peacefully assemble.”
Sure you can, you just cant do it in the middle of the street. It really is as simple as that, however these rights will never trump local laws as there are clear limits to free speech, like it or not.
Charges were dropped on the 24 year old accused of assaulting an officer. The prosecutor lacked the proper documentation, having only a hand written sentence from the police, and the judge did not find probable cause. Yesterday at KC Jail court house, 2:30 pm.
“It’s a tremendous strain on budget and resources to have to address this,” Wilson said. “We’re going to be there to make sure it remains peaceful.”
Right…where’s a rim shot when you need one? Because this is clearly a joke. Tip your waiters folks this douchebag (sadly) will be here all week.
I’ve confirmed that a judge ordered the suspect released — details above.
Russ wrote, “Since McGinn left shortly after 5pm and the people who were arrested, were arrested at around 7pm, it tells me they refused to leave the museum and thats why they were arrested.”
Hopefully, the reason for their arrests was that the police suspected them of violating a law. In reality, people are often arrested because their lawful behavior bothers police officers.
Dale Clark wrote, “The Anarchist’s [sic] always try to goat [sic] the cops into arresting them with cameras in hand.” If, years ago, someone had sat down at the lunch table next to the bully who regularly stole kids’ lunch money, a dollar in one hand and a video camera in the other, maybe these SPD powder kegs wouldn’t be on out streets blowing their tops and using chemical weapons on people suspected of nothing more than being in the street on foot outside of a crosswalk.
Duhm wrote, “And the cameras are manipulated to only show a certain perspective so Phil can make lots of baseless claims about the police.” I assume you meant to refer to me. Instead of tossing out vague accusations about a real person (me) while hiding behind your pseudonym, please cite some specific examples of these baseless claims about the police you implied that I have made.
Cuntyhunty wrote, “Charges were dropped against the one you “have no doubt” assaulted an officer.” That’s almost correct. He was never charged with anything. Police arrested him and put him in jail Saturday night, then around 6pm Monday, he was released, several hours after a judge found that the police had no probable cause to arrest him.
“Hopefully, the reason for their arrests was that the police suspected them of violating a law. In reality, people are often arrested because their lawful behavior bothers police officers.”
Which in this case, might be “Hello the museum is closed, we need you to leave”, “I will not leave. I do not acknowledge your authority to tell me what to do, so piss off!”.
No citations are needed, all of your comments are on this blog.
So I attended this dance party and I want to say that Lt. Calder was behaving really weird. Not just the pepper spery but he was weaving in and out of the crowd saying things like “I know what your thinking” or at another point he went up to a girl and said “hello my little anarchist friend” when he shoved one person someone in the crowed asked him if that was necessary. He responded by bumping his chest against them and saying “It’s nessisary when you punks think you own the streets, cause you don’t.” The whole thing was really odd. Also I would like to say I didn’t hear anyone threaten the wild rose (doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, I just didn’t see it.
Can you prove they were assaulted?
Russ, again, you’re making assumptions, this time relying on the Seattle Times (they always get everything right) which just lifted from the SPD press release. And we’ve seen what happens when you rely on them.
And guess what, Duhm? Everything Phil’s said has had a “base” in some attempt at establishing facts. Whereas you are, in fact, throwing out vague … baseless … accusations.
I hardly know Phil, but it’s obvious that if he’s about anything here, it’s establishing a strong base for everything he asserts. He brings you video footage, case law, you name it. And all you do is whine.
Re; the recent local news that SPD is investigating the incident. I’m assuming Calder has pictures of his knee showing the alleged injury to it. Date and time-stamped, please. And then of course proof the person he so forcibly attacked and arrested is the person that caused him harm.
And you get sucked into it like this is a serious discussion.
Really? Absolutely unbelievable. What does the incident at the dance party have to do with your 7:12am update? And BTW, not only was the man released from custody, the judge was also appeared to be mystified and embarrassed by the arrest report.
“Sure you can, you just cant do it in the middle of the street.”
The citizen pepper sprayed was not in the street nor violent as the video clearly shows.
Notice how quick some people follow the script of the police excuses…
“The citizen pepper sprayed was not in the street nor violent as the video clearly shows.”
“As the video clearly shows”. Well….Why would anyone wanting to portray a certain side to the argument post other video that doesn’t support the impression THEY wanted to present? Or, in other words, who says that video is all-inclusive of what went on? The protesters always have the advantage of knowing the police aren’t videotaping everything that happens, so as to defend themselves later. BUT the protestors, armed with a multitude of cellphone cams, are always free to omit or not post any videos that show their actions in a bad light, or that capture anything they might have done that justifies what the police did. That’s tough shit for the cops, for sure– but nobody should be stupid enough to automatically take the word of these protestors, given their track record..or to presume what they see posted is the whole story.
So it was dismissed on a technicality…it doesn’t mean he/she didn’t do it.
Actually the police presence last year, for Occupy Seattle at SCCC was costing the dept alot of money. Money they normally set aside for having police at parades, festivals or marathons. Because Occupy Seattle could never police their own, the budget for that was quickly being drained.
So its possible that if protesters keep it up, that fund will run dry and maybe they’ll lay off some police to offset that. Maybe they’ll lay off a teacher instead?
No, JimS it was dismissed because it never occurred. I was there filming that night, though on the other side of the crowd in front of Madison Pub. I saw a lot happen. I did not see the incident involving the 24 year old man very well. However, I have seen full video shot by others of the incident, unedited, and it clearly shows the same as the edited video: That Lieutenant Calder (whom I had recorded earlier harassing people for no reason) had it out for this gentleman, that he pepper sprayed him in the face for no reason while he was on the sidewalk, and that he pulls him into the street to arrest him at that point. For no reason. The charges were dropped due to lack of evidence.
Lieutenant Gregg Calder has a history of arresting people, charging them with assaulting him, and then never appearing to court and never having evidence to back up his claims.
SPD had scores of officers at Westlake Park every night, but they weren’t arresting people suspected of wrongdoing, responding to reports of danger, or anything useful. They were simply harassing people engaged in political demonstration. I was there almost every night of the occupation from around 7pm until around 1am. Once we moved to Seattle Central, the police presence decreased dramatically.
The vast majority of funding dedicated to policing Occupy Seattle demonstrations was completely wasted. Those services were neither requested nor necessary. We shouldn’t blame that waste on the people who were demonstrating, but on SPD management and on Mayor McGinn.
Russ suggested that people had been arrested because “they refused to leave the museum.” I responded with the hope that any arrests were made because police suspected people of violating the law. Russ responded, “Which in this case, might be `Hello the museum is closed, we need you to leave’, `I will not leave. I do not acknowledge your authority to tell me what to do, so piss off!’.
Russ, from what you’ve written here, it seems that you don’t understand how things work in the United States. Stating that one will not leave, that one does not acknowlege someone else’s authority to tell one what to do, and for someone to “piss off” are lawful activities, and would not be cause for arrest.
The 7:12am Update regarding “accelerant” being found at an ATM on 15th has absolutely NOTHING to do with this situation. I think, jseattle, that it is inappropriate for you to connect the two incidents as they are clearly not related to one another. That is inaccurately creating a connection in people’s minds between the two incidents.
Though the SPD claims people discussed “property destruction” during this event that is just not true. I was there, filming, for the majority of it and didn’t hear a single mention of property destruction from any individual at the dance party.
I just believe connecting the two incidents is shoddy and misleading.
Actually, the charges have NOT been dismissed. As reported above, charges have not even been filed yet. Let me explain:
The judge ordered the arrestee released because there was not sufficient probable cause to continue to hold them in jail. (e.g., there was no indication that they were a danger to the community or that they might fail to appear in court to answer any charges that might be brought later.)
It is entirely possible that the arrestee may yet receive a summons in the mail ordering them to appear at Seattle Muni if it’s a misdemeanor, or at King County Superior if it’s charged as a felony (as they usually are when the officer is the alleged victim.)
For my money, given what the video appears to show, the city will offer the arrestee a deal where no charges will be brought, provided the arrestee promises not to sue the city. I hope the arrestee declines such a deal, because I think a court ought to try to get to the bottom of what really happened here.
Apparently Mocek doesn’t understand the meaning of trespass.
I really fucking hate it when people buy the bullshit cops tell them. The man arrested is a fuckload way too smart to kick a fucking cop in the knee. Notably, his charges have been dismissed because the cops in question did not file the appropriate reports to charge him with assault. They submitted nothing but a one-sentence, handwritten note and the judge threw out the case in disgust.
Why did they do such lackluster follow-up? Most likely because they’re lying shits and knew they couldn’t make anything stick.
http://bit.ly/LP1c1p
For your information, the Supreme Court has roundly rejected prior restraint.
I hate to break it to you “cuntyhunty,” but if there is a contest going on between “yuppies” and anarchists as to who will prevail on Capitol Hill, then your side is clearly losing.
It’s about time to stop the knee-jerk, negative reaction to any degree of change in our neighborhood. You might see “gentrification” as a negative…I see it, for the most part, as progress and improvement, and I welcome it.
Thank you SPD for keeping control! These people cause trouble and pass the blame. It sickens me that these people get any press time. they need to go find a job and be a productive member of society. How about stopping in at one of the many parties going on around the hill and having some fun. How about march in support of lgbt issues. these people are a menance to society and deserve what they get.
Your intense hatred of the police knows no bounds. Perhaps you could try to attain a more balanced approach…..if so, your comments would get more respect and credibility. And, oh, by the way, using profanity in every sentence does not make your posts any more powerful/effective.
JimS….exactly right! Sometimes, a video can be shot/edited to try and show anything you want it to show. They should always be viewed with a dollop of skepticism.
Bob, your intense resistance to acknowledging of the fact that many police — even those in middle management like Gregg Carder — regularly commit perjury in order to punish people whose lawful activity bothers them, and to support their otherwise-unjustified use of force, seems to know no bounds. Perhaps you could try to attain a more balanced approach. If so, your comments would likely get more respect and appear more credible.
Phil,
Your intense support of unlawful activity is what is really appalling and your misuse of video to support your agenda is sickening.
You should not be speaking about credibility because your comments in now way show a balanced approached.
I feel really sorry for you that you can’t see how you are perceived.
Mike: Specifics, please. I have not expressed “support of unlawful activity.”
Phil Mocek and I almost always disagree as to what is acceptable/legal conduct on the streets of our neighborhood, and whether or not a police response is a reasonable one. But I do respect him. Why? Because, unlike some of the immature drama queens posting on this board, he does not hate the police. Rather, he wants them to behave better in certain circumstances, and to be held accountable when they step over the line. And that goal is surely something on which we can all agree.
That comment just made my day. Bob, you are absolutely correct about my attitude toward our police. Thanks.
just to clarify the 24 year old is a kindergarden teacher how is a non violent activist come to the march we wont tollerate the gay bashing by the police http://www.facebook.com/mobileprotection#!/photo.php?fbid=10101322130945888&set=oa.254437104671145&type=1&theater
u have to copy and past this otherwise it doesnt link properly http://www.facebook.com/mobileprotection#!/photo.php?fbid=10101322130945888&set=oa.254437104671145&type=1&theater
i see all these ppl talking about how the ppl at dance party are “a menace” and “need to grow up” however lets not forget the stonewall riots that started pride. it was a right against police which there is actualy a documentary being shown at cal anderson tomarrow http://www.facebook.com/events/144273615709824/.
haha… “a menace” lmao.
Meanwhile, thanks for raising rents and displacing people!
How to Gain Respect and Credibility
A Lesson by Calhoun
—
Comment on articles with in-depth explications of a horizontally-organized business’s guiding principles with astute observations, such as the following:
“From the looks of their logo, it appears this is an anarchist group. They do not deserve anyone’s support.”
http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2012/06/20/black-coffee-co
Divide & conquer that which challenges you…