Jury acquits Seattle police officer in head stomping case
SEATTLE -- A jury acquitted a Seattle police officer Wednesday who had been accused of stomping on the head of a handcuffed man.
Officer Garth Haynes had been charged with assault after police dash-cam video showed him putting his foot on the head of a man he had just been in a fight with.
The brawl broke out on the night of Dec. 12 outside of a Ballard bar. The man who was stomped on told police he saw Haynes, who was off duty and out of uniform, restraining a woman outside of the bar. He said he and his friends stepped in and a fight broke out.
On Tuesday, Haynes told a different version of the story, telling jurors he was jumped when he tried to stop a woman he thought had stolen his coat.
"Because my back was turned, I kept feeling punches from all over, like I was getting punches from the left and the right," he said.
Haynes' friend also testified that three men attacked them as Haynes called 911. Joel Nelson said the men tackled Haynes and one of them kicked him in the head.
"It was a kick pretty hard and straightforward in his face," Nelson said. "You can see that he ended up with a big knot on his forehead."
Haynes said he felt dazed after the scuffle and could have suffered a concussion. He said he didn't intentionally put his foot on anyone.
Following the verdict, Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes released a statement expressing disappointment in the jury's decision.
"Officer Haynes kicked a man in the head while the man was handcuffed and face down on the sidewalk. I am disappointed that the jury chose not to convict in these circumstances, but I respect the jury process," Holmes said. "Today’s verdict will not deter us from doing what we can to hold all people, including police officers, accountable under the law."
But Sgt. Rich O'Neill, president of the Seattle Police Officers' Guild, said the jury made the right call.
"The Seattle Police Officer’s Guild is delighted with the Not Guilty Verdict issued today in the trial of Officer Garth Haynes," O'Neill said in a statement. "Rather than rely on a small snippet of video footage, the jury carefully examined all of the evidence. The facts were always very clear."
Officer Garth Haynes had been charged with assault after police dash-cam video showed him putting his foot on the head of a man he had just been in a fight with.
The brawl broke out on the night of Dec. 12 outside of a Ballard bar. The man who was stomped on told police he saw Haynes, who was off duty and out of uniform, restraining a woman outside of the bar. He said he and his friends stepped in and a fight broke out.
On Tuesday, Haynes told a different version of the story, telling jurors he was jumped when he tried to stop a woman he thought had stolen his coat.
"Because my back was turned, I kept feeling punches from all over, like I was getting punches from the left and the right," he said.
Haynes' friend also testified that three men attacked them as Haynes called 911. Joel Nelson said the men tackled Haynes and one of them kicked him in the head.
"It was a kick pretty hard and straightforward in his face," Nelson said. "You can see that he ended up with a big knot on his forehead."
Haynes said he felt dazed after the scuffle and could have suffered a concussion. He said he didn't intentionally put his foot on anyone.
Following the verdict, Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes released a statement expressing disappointment in the jury's decision.
"Officer Haynes kicked a man in the head while the man was handcuffed and face down on the sidewalk. I am disappointed that the jury chose not to convict in these circumstances, but I respect the jury process," Holmes said. "Today’s verdict will not deter us from doing what we can to hold all people, including police officers, accountable under the law."
But Sgt. Rich O'Neill, president of the Seattle Police Officers' Guild, said the jury made the right call.
"The Seattle Police Officer’s Guild is delighted with the Not Guilty Verdict issued today in the trial of Officer Garth Haynes," O'Neill said in a statement. "Rather than rely on a small snippet of video footage, the jury carefully examined all of the evidence. The facts were always very clear."
