Justice Department launches civil-rights probe of Seattle Police Department

The U.S. Department of Justice is launching a formal civil rights investigation of the Seattle Police Department following several high-profile violent incidents, federal officials said Thursday.

The incidents include the shooting death of a Native American carver, the stomping of a Latino suspect and the punching of an African American teenage jaywalker.

"I want to emphasize that we have not reached any conclusions," U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan said at a news conference. "I think this gives us a great opportunity to have experts with a new set of eyes ... to help us see what is going right and what can be improved."

The announcement followed the Justice Department's decision in January to do a preliminary review of Seattle police's use-of--force practices. That review came after the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups called for an investigation into a possible pattern or practice of unnecessary use of force, especially against minorities.

Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, said officials will review records, observe officers in field, talk to rank and file patrol, department officials, community members, "and other key stakeholders." Perez said a formal investigation is warranted to see if there is a pattern or practice of violating the Constitution or federal laws.

Perez would not get into specific incidents that made them move forward with the investigation. The two area of focus will be concerning use of force complaints and complaints of discriminatory policing.

High-profile incidents

On Aug. 30, Officer Ian Birk fatally shot John T. Williams to death at Boren Avenue and Howell Street. The knife he was carrying was found closed at the scene and the department's Firearms Review Board determined the was unjustified. Satterberg announced Feb. 16 he wouldn't charge the former officer, Ian Birk.

"Neither the finding of the Firearms Review Board nor the findings of the Inquest Jury support a conclusion that the officer acted with malice or acted in bad faith," Satterberg wrote in a response for a citizen grand jury. "Thus, as tragic as Mr. Williams' death was, the law directs that this officer may not be punished through use of the criminal law."

Click here to read Satterber's letter about the grand jury request. Follow this link to read Holmes' response to the grand jury issue.

On June 14, officer Ian Walsh was videotaped punching a 17-year-old girl in the face after she confronted him on Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Walsh had stopped her 19-year-old friend for jaywalking and was holding onto that young woman when the 17-year-old tried to separate them.

Walsh was cleared in the incident, the 17-year-old apologized, and the 19-year-old was sentenced to community service for obstructing a police officer. But the incident brought Seattle police criticism from across the nation.

On April 17, Gang Unit Detective Shandy Cobane and another officer were videotaped stomping on a man detained during a robbery investigation and later released. Cobane said he would "beat the (expletive) Mexican piss" out of the suspect. He has been reassigned and is expected to face further discipline. King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg said on Sept. 1 that state hate-crime charges did not apply against Cobane. City Attorney Pete Holmes also determined a misdemeanor assault charge wouldn't apply..

Officer Garth Haynes remains on reassignment after a January incident outside a Ballard bar, as does Officer James Lee after he kicked a suspect during an Oct. 18 arrest in Belltown.

For more Seattle police and crime news visit the front page of the Seattle 911 blog.

Casey McNerthney can be reached at 206-448-8220 or caseymcnerthney@seattlepi.com. Follow Casey on Twitter at twitter.com/mcnerthney.