Seattle cop suspended for molesting other cops

[deadrose]

Wow, this guy is a real piece of work. "What can I say, I'm a predator", indeed! His lawyer must hate him.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/crime/article/Police-Groping-Seattle-cop-remarked-I-m-a-9880592.php

He repeatedly and regularly groped female cops and civilians he worked with in the training unit over the past 7 years. There's also the possibility he groped at least one male officer too.

Also of interest is that he'd been sued in 2006, for an episode where he detained & frisked a young black man for sitting on a porch. Sounds oddly familiar, doesn't it? The big difference was that this young man was the son of then King County councilmember Larry Gossett and that a witness stepped in to identify him. The city settled out-of-court as they generally do.

Seems to me the police would have a lot more money (which they claim to need) if they quit having to pay off all the people they've abused.

 

[fuelair]

A real shame he is still breathing some of our air!!!

 

[jimbob]

Seattle Police Department seems dysfunctional from previous links you have posted, Deadrose... and other stories too.

 

[deadrose]

Yes, it's a seriously dysfunctional mess and appears to always have been so, which surprises people because Seattle is generally such a laid-back, liberal sort of place. Even the WTO riots were mostly a case of cop overreaction until the Black Bloc from Oregon showed up to stir the pot.

I don't even post half the crap that goes on, just the really astounding stuff.

 

[The Norseman]

The sad thing is, that even though it's highly appropriate in this case, part of his plea deal will ensure his NOT being on a sexual offender registry.

 

[Babbylonian]

Yes, it's a seriously dysfunctional mess and appears to always have been so, which surprises people because Seattle is generally such a laid-back, liberal sort of place. Even the WTO riots were mostly a case of cop overreaction until the Black Bloc from Oregon showed up to stir the pot.

I don't even post half the crap that goes on, just the really astounding stuff.

What could be more dysfunctional than a department where a police officer retains his job after being sued by the son of a member of the county council? Settlement or not, if even a relatively high-ranking local official can't get a cop fired, what hope has the rest of the citizenry?

 

[luchog]

What could be more dysfunctional than a department where a police officer retains his job after being sued by the son of a member of the county council? Settlement or not, if even a relatively high-ranking local official can't get a cop fired, what hope has the rest of the citizenry?

There's a reason that the US Department of Justice flagged it as the most corrupt and violent in the nation in their 2011 report. Their initial response was that it was "inappropriate" for the DoJ to release that report to the public, and that it should have been kept to contract negotiations.

A lot of noise has been made about reform since then, but nothing substantial has actually changed, and in fact, things have gotten worse in some respects. The SPD and the union have fought tooth and nail against any improvements to accountability and civilian oversight, and have generally been successful. The really twisted part is that, despite their constantly whining about money, they are one of the highest paid police forces in the nation.

It's not going to change anytime soon, not unless an overwhelming majority of the city government changes.

 

[Darat]

Wow, this guy is a real piece of work. "What can I say, I'm a predator", indeed! His lawyer must hate him.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/crime/article/Police-Groping-Seattle-cop-remarked-I-m-a-9880592.php

He repeatedly and regularly groped female cops and civilians he worked with in the training unit over the past 7 years. There's also the possibility he groped at least one male officer too.

Also of interest is that he'd been sued in...snip.....

Will he be running for the republican nomination in 4 years time?

 

[Trebuchet]

The really twisted part is that, despite their constantly whining about money, they are one of the highest paid police forces in the nation.

And in one of the most liberal cities and counties in the nation, to boot.

 

[luchog]

And in one of the most liberal cities and counties in the nation, to boot.

Yeah, that. Seattle, for all it's reputation as a liberal city, has a city government that is surprisingly conservative; and decidedly corrupt as well.