The department’s oversight officials have determined that Seattle Police officers violated policies in a handful of complaints over incidents during the summer’s Black Lives Matter protests including SPD actions on Capitol Hill.
The latest release of findings comes as the Office of Police Accountability continues to work its way through thousands of complaints lodged over police use of force and crowd control weapons including blast balls and tear gas during the summer protests.
Not a single SPD officer has yet been disciplined for any of the OPA’s findings on the complaints from months of protests. Critics have called for an investigation of the office itself.
The latest findings upheld complaints against multiple officers and a commander including a a complaint upheld over a June 1st incident in which an officer did not show “due care” when throwing a tear gas canister near media in Cal Anderson Park.
Another finding determined a commander at 11th and Pine responded inappropriately with crowd dispersal orders that led to the use of pepper spray and blast balls after protesters were reported to have opened umbrellas in front of a line of officers.
| 1/15/21 | 2020OPA-0330 | EF – officers punching during arrest | 5/31/20 | Not Sustained Management Action |
| 1/15/21 | 2020OPA-0332 | EF – neck restraint | 5/31/20 | Not Sustained Management Action |
| 1/15/21 | 2020OPA-0333 | EF – blast ball injury to reporter | 6/1/20 | Partially Sustained |
| 1/15/21 | 2020OPA-0334 | EF – overly aggressive crowd dispersal tactics | Multiple | Partially Sustained |
| 1/15/21 | 2020OPA-0335 | EF – blast ball injury to man sleeping | 6/1/20 | Partially Sustained |
| 1/15/21 | 2020OPA-0343 | EF – pepper spray during arrest | 6/5/20 | Not Sustained |
| 1/15/21 | 2020OPA-0344 (1 of 2) |
EF – blast balls hit woman & targeted medic tent (June 7) | 6/7/20 | Partially Sustained Management Action |
| 1/15/21 | 2020OPA-0367 | EF – officer shoved protester & other officers ignored (May 30) | 5/30/20 | Not Sustained |
| 1/15/21 | 2020OPA-0373 | EF – pepper spray & knee on neck | 6/4/20 | Not Sustained |
| 1/15/21 | 2020OPA-0377 | EF – individual targeted with 40mm projectile | 6/2/20 | Not Sustained |
| 1/15/21 | 2020OPA-0419 | EF – blast ball foot injury | 5/31/20 | Not Sustained Management Action |
| 1/15/21 | 2020OPA-0423 | EF – protester shoved with bike | 6/7/20 | Not Sustained |
| 1/15/21 | 2020OPA-0425 | EF – blast ball foot injury & dishonest social media report | 6/7/20 | Not Sustained Management Action |
| 1/15/21 | 2020OPA-0427 | EF – grabbing umbrella from protester & foul language | 6/7/20 | Not Sustained |
| 1/15/21 | 2020OPA-0428 | EF – protesters hit with blast balls, baton | 6/6/20 | Not Sustained |
| 1/15/21 | 2020OPA-0429 | Failure to render timely aid to protester shot by driver | 6/7/20 | Not Sustained |
| 1/15/21 | 2020OPA-0437 | Bike officer false arrest of woman for assault | 5/31/20 | Not Sustained |
| 1/15/21 | 2020OPA-0439 (1 of 2) |
EF – protester trampled, shoved, pepper sprayed | 6/7/20 | Not Sustained |
| 1/15/21 | 2020OPA-0486 | SWAT officers unprofessional | 6/8/20 | Partially Sustained |
| 1/15/21 | 2020OPA-0543 | EF – officer rode bike into protester, pepper sprayed another | 5/31/20 | Not Sustained |
| 1/15/21 | 2020OPA-0550 | EF – blast balls & tear gas used on individual in wheelchair | 6/6/20 | Not Sustained |
| 1/15/21 | 2020OPA-0571 | Officer cut straps to arrestee’s backpack | 5/31/20 | Not Sustained |
The AP reported a full rundown of the sustained complaints here.
The OPA’s Demonstration Complaint Dashboard with links to each case’s findings is here.
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