Veteran Seattle cop accused of using excessive force
SEATTLE -- A veteran Seattle police officer is under investigation for allegations of use of excessive force and unprofessionalism.
According to Seattle police, officer Clayton Powell, a 19-year veteran of the force, is being investigated for his conduct during a police response to a report of a drive-by pellet gun shooting in South Seattle on Thursday night.
Police did not release details of the incident, which occurred in the 3700 block of S. Othello St. while officers were tracking down leads.
However, video of the incident obtained by KOMO News shows a heated argument that involved Powell shoving a man. The pushed man and a nearby crowd then demand to know why he was pushed, and the man appears to spit in Powell's face. Powell then pushes the man again as the other officers try to control the angry crowd.
A few moments later, the man is seen handcuffed and held against the hood of a squad car. Powell continues to talk to the man, but also appears to either touch him or hit him again. A loud thump is heard on the video.
The department launched the internal investigation after other officers who were present during the incident alerted their supervisor.
"The officers at the scene wasted no time in letting their supervisor know," said Sgt. Sean Whitcomb, adding news of the incident had reached the acting chief within 90 minutes. Both Seattle Police Chief John Diaz and Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn were out of town.
Powell has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Whitcomb said the department's leaders are pleased the other officers followed procedure and reported the incident immediately.
"What they saw from a fellow colleague was behavior that appeared excessive and unnecessary, and unprofessional, and they didn't tolerate it," he said.
The cuffed man was arrested and taken to the South Precinct. He has since been evaluated for injuries and released. He was not charged.
Anyone with information on the case is urged to call Office of Professional Accountability investigator Sgt. Yvonne Tovar at 206-684-8792.
News of the incident came just days after the city of Seattle and the U.S. Department of Justice announced a plan to reform the Seattle Police Department. Seattle officials agreed to an independent monitor and court oversight of the city's police department following a damning report that found officers routinely used excessive force.
The Justice Department launched its civil rights investigation early last year after the fatal shooting of homeless Native American woodcarver John T. Williams and other incidents involving force used against minority suspects. In December, a DOJ report found officers were too quick to reach for weapons, such as flashlights and batons, even when arresting people for minor offenses.
The deal also calls for a special commission, appointed by the mayor, to concentrate on use of force issues.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office had no comment on the latest incident.
According to Seattle police, officer Clayton Powell, a 19-year veteran of the force, is being investigated for his conduct during a police response to a report of a drive-by pellet gun shooting in South Seattle on Thursday night.
Police did not release details of the incident, which occurred in the 3700 block of S. Othello St. while officers were tracking down leads.
However, video of the incident obtained by KOMO News shows a heated argument that involved Powell shoving a man. The pushed man and a nearby crowd then demand to know why he was pushed, and the man appears to spit in Powell's face. Powell then pushes the man again as the other officers try to control the angry crowd.
A few moments later, the man is seen handcuffed and held against the hood of a squad car. Powell continues to talk to the man, but also appears to either touch him or hit him again. A loud thump is heard on the video.
The department launched the internal investigation after other officers who were present during the incident alerted their supervisor.
"The officers at the scene wasted no time in letting their supervisor know," said Sgt. Sean Whitcomb, adding news of the incident had reached the acting chief within 90 minutes. Both Seattle Police Chief John Diaz and Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn were out of town.
Powell has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Whitcomb said the department's leaders are pleased the other officers followed procedure and reported the incident immediately.
"What they saw from a fellow colleague was behavior that appeared excessive and unnecessary, and unprofessional, and they didn't tolerate it," he said.
The cuffed man was arrested and taken to the South Precinct. He has since been evaluated for injuries and released. He was not charged.
Anyone with information on the case is urged to call Office of Professional Accountability investigator Sgt. Yvonne Tovar at 206-684-8792.
News of the incident came just days after the city of Seattle and the U.S. Department of Justice announced a plan to reform the Seattle Police Department. Seattle officials agreed to an independent monitor and court oversight of the city's police department following a damning report that found officers routinely used excessive force.
The Justice Department launched its civil rights investigation early last year after the fatal shooting of homeless Native American woodcarver John T. Williams and other incidents involving force used against minority suspects. In December, a DOJ report found officers were too quick to reach for weapons, such as flashlights and batons, even when arresting people for minor offenses.
The deal also calls for a special commission, appointed by the mayor, to concentrate on use of force issues.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office had no comment on the latest incident.
Spitting in someone's face is the ultimate sign of disrespect, I know that, Powell knows that & so does the idiot who spit in his face.... As a man, as a cop, as a human, you can only take so much before s**t gets real personal.... I served Powell at my restaurant for almost five years & He patrols My neighborhood & lemme tell you He's one of the coolest cats around~ but I'm also not screaming in his face or hawking a loogie at his dome. He's been a Seattle police officer for almost 20 years!!!! That's a long time people!
So cops have guns to protect them, how do we protect ourselves before getting our butt kicked lol Gotta keep my lil buddy with me http://www.airsplat.com/Items/AP-UMX-CZ-1911.htm
those who cannot,, become sarg.
OH YA the sarg needs an ass whip...Â
Um, this guy would be nursing a broken nose at least if he spit in my face.. He is lucky and to the police man, I commend you for not breaking him in two..
This is not cool what the cops did the kid but this is still not good for the sport of Airsoft. Things like this is going to kill the sport of airsoft. I know its a pellet gun but still. We all need to make sure we are practicing airsoft safety at all time. If everyone could please give themselves a refresher course and read this here airsplat.com/airsoft-safety.htm thank you.
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Excessive force? Are you kidding? If you were the officer and some came and spat in your face, tell me what would you do? What a joke! I guess if you are walking down the street and some guy comes and spits in your face, I guess we can't call the police since, according to this article, they can't do anything but say, "spitting is not nice sir, pretty please don't do that again or I will put you in time out."
People have to remember that this is covered under Washington laws. Officers and civilians have the legal right to use, up to and including deadly force in any assault situation. Deadly force can even be used in cases of verbal threats of violence. So if this officer was spit on he used a lot of restraint from what he was entitled to under state law. Not taking the sides of cops. I think they themselves escalate a lot of these situations by not using some comon sense just as  lot of civilians don't use common sense in some of these situations.
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@2ndstartothenorth Diaz is a good man...he's for us white guys. Ask officer Cobain, the one who kicked the mexican in the head...he still got his job and overtime. The Black cop...well he is on the way Out! Seattle, you guys are good! I love sgt whitcomb...smiling in the interview...lol. Only a few of dem minority cops left to deal wit. Then I'm gonna try out.
Spitting in an officer's face. Really? He's lucky the cop didn't respond with a few well placed whacks with his nightstick.Â
Let's face it, Â being a cop could be a tough job at times. Â But two wrongs don't make a right. Â This was a phrase from an old country song. Â Right now I can't think of the name of it. Â I guess songs today don't have much meaning as society shoves values down the drain. Â
There was only one wrong person in this video. That was the thugs failure to obey an officers command and spitting in his face.
It's good to see the SPD finally react to excessive force in an appropriate manner.Â
@arinna If someone spits in your face, what would you do? Excessive force????? He's lucky the police officer didn't slam him to the ground.
Fail! If SPD thought that was excessive force, then they do need re-training.
Let the police do their job, and stop whining about it.  If you can't do the time, don't commit the crime... Enough already.Â
Has anyone ever seen the movie "Beverly Hills Cop"?
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Are law enforcement professional supposed to start saying please, pretty please, and pretty please with sugar on top, when unruly people and thugs are not complying with orders?
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I don't see anything wrong with the video. Officers are human too. He didn't club the guy or shoot him. He pushed him and maybe for good reason. To be spit upon deserves something much more than a push IMO.
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As for the thump, maybe someone was closing a car door or trunk.Â
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Seattle is going to the dogs. (no, not the Dawgs).
Judging by the overwhelming and rightful support for this Officer I was wondering when the 'Keys To The City' ceremony is going to be?
Any SOB who spits on me is going to get his nose broken., no matter what it takes. As far as I can see all of those people deserved to be arrested and hit over the head.
It's disgusting watching Sgt. Whitcomb's comments to KOMO 4. Â I can tell you right now, he's one you don't trust in the field.
Where's the other police guild representative? Â That guy knows how to stand up for the rank-and-file and not pander to management.
The one term mayor can take his professional activist friends with him out the door, I oppose actual excessive force by the police (as in the John T. Williams slaying) but this was NOT "excessive force." I also oppose arrogant  jerks and thugs who are the root of the majority of 911 calls in the first place, who we ask the cops to deal with. I also also oppose grandstanding news outlets who are bent on pointing out anything they can turn into a news story about SPD, passing off a few seconds of video that does not show the start or finish of a situation or question who the hostile crowd was or THEIR motivations. . Â
A veteran Seattle police officer is under investigation for allegations of use of excessive force and unprofessionalism.
I'm sorry but there was no excessive force or unprofessionalism here. The person attacked the officer when he spit in his face, which is the same as assaulting someone. With the threat of AIDS and all, if this is not an assault I donât know what is.
If anybody every spits in my face, you will definitely see excessive force, as for unprofessionalism, you be the judge.
If you want to see Seattle's future, throw Demolition Man in and skip to the scene where the cops of the future encounter a criminal from the 1990s.
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Even Snipes says, "What happened to you all?"
 @Steve Nice! Or you can just travel to many of America's inner cities, such as parts of Oakland, LA, Chicago, in my experience the police won't even enter those areas with out a battalion of officers.Â
 @Sam Maley In Los Angeles, the game change after Rodney King.  The most important thing to note is that federal mandates impacted the Los Angeles Police Department, not the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
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It's true before Rodney King just as it is after: the LASD is the king of Los Angeles and that's long been known. Â If you don't like the way the deputies do business, elect a new sheriff.
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In case people are unfamiliar, though, the LASD is not like a sheriff's department you would think of in Washington state.
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It is a very urban department.
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The cops in larger cities go into some pretty nasty areas. Â But you're right, there are parts of the United States that aren't even close to as pacified as Seattle. Â Police departments in some major metropolitan areas conduct operations which aren't that different from military operations in Kabul.
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I love when people (not talking about you) who have no idea of how nation-maintenance works. Â Sorry, but reading about it in your political science class at the U doesn't qualify you as a subject matter expert in controlling a metropolitan area.
Well said! Watch Detroit or Dallas SWAT sometimes on TruTv. Tell me those cops knock politely and say please when raiding a drug house or trying to apprehend killers.
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Ever been to St. Louis? And, I don't mean by the arch either.
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How about Bario Logan or Logan Heights in San Diego?Â
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Seattle cops have never bothered me. Play by the rules and no one gets hurt.
Have no respect for a lot of the officers now a days but if this guy spit in the officers face thats considered assault. A cop doesn't have to take being assaulted just like no civilian has to tolerate it. He might have used a little excessive force in arresting the guy but in this case I would give the benefit of the doubt to the officer. But on the other hand, if other officers on the scene think excessive force was used then there maybe more to it than what we're seeing on the video.
Maybe the other officers were covering their arses.
Nothing wrong here. Officer was justified. The officers are called to a shooting, and this thug gets in his face, which is obviously intended to intimidate the officer. I realize this is Seattle and most of the pansy's who live here cower and bend over to any altercation. Well we don't pay our officers to bend over!
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The negative comments below, let me spit in your face and I'll video tape your reaction. The other officers were just trying to save face, in a city full of Pansy's.
Isn't spitting on someone considered assault? Â Sounds like the police officer was just defending himself. Â But, I wasn't there to witness the whole thing either.
The little thug is clearly seen spitting in his face. What does Mc Ginn and Diaz want? Does he want LEOs to act as if nothing happened?
I do agree that the "perp" was too close to the officer. What I didn't hear was a warning or command to back away.  What I did see was an unnecessary shove by the police officer, which seemed to be "violence" provoking, hence, the spit in the face. I'm not saying spitting is a good idea, but what option does a "perp" have in a situation like this when a pig is being a pig? None. Thanks to video, this "perp" will be set free and charges will probably be dropped. In any non-videoed situation, the perp would be in big trouble, and probably a lot more beat up. I don't trust pigs more than 25% because most of them think they are above the law.
"What I didn't hear was a warning or command to back away."
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That's because you weren't there. Unless you were there, then A "snippet", via camera phone video, of the entire situation hardly qualifies your judgement and comment.
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Your constant reference to Police Officers as "pigs" (in the deragotory sense) is suspicious. Perhaps you're biased because you have displayed behavior one too many times that warranted, as you say, a "pigs" response.
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Millions of citizens that live in Seattle and surrounding cities can go about their lives rarely coming into contact with Police because they use common sense and obey the laws put in place by society. That "perp" in the video is obviously not one of the millions and quite possible one of the 5% that cause 95% of crimes in society.
 @cawlnaduckaduck ...and you weren't there either. Assuming the "perp" is in the 5% is simply wrong. Those guys could have just been walking along when the cops stopped them because there was a report of a pellet shooting in the area. I'd be a little pissed too and it doesn't give the pig a reason to shove an "innocent until proven guilty" perp just because he's the "law".
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But yes, this "snipet" of video is a pretty good portrayal of what happened. If there would have been violence or spitting before the video started, this perp would have already been on the ground and in cuffs.  And yes, it does qualify my judgement and comment.
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As you may have already guessed, I don't like pigs because they're jerks and they think they are above the law. Sure, not all of them are jerks, but the ones that are ruin it for the rest of them.
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Pathetic..and the cops turn on one of their own too- wow...that's "Seatattle" for ya.
 @Mr Whosdooby How is that pathetic? If cop partners are out on the job, one of the robs a bank, or rapes a woman, you think it's okay to stay hush, hush? Just curious?
Bank robbing, rape?...Geez...jumping ahead of the issue here aren't you? If you see your buddy spit on and he shoves the guy, are you going to run and tell his boss? WTF?? Personally, I'd have jumped in and helped him slap the perp down...but then again, this is Seattle...I forget that.
 @Mr Whosdooby Not really. The issue you're bringing up is "not ratting our your co-workers". This is just an extreme example of the "letting it slide" attitude, but the same concept. Actually, the cop shoved the perp before the perp spit on the officer, so yes, he should be reprimanded / retrained. Try watching the video.
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Officer did't understood the situation going on and lost his temper !! he surely needs more training !!
I take it you were there? Also, what's makes you a credible "expert witness?" Are you a cop trained in these types of situations? You don't like it when someone outside of the fast food business tells you how to flip burgers, then why should you tell a cop he needs more training?
 @cawlnaduckaduck I think it's quite obvious. The cop should not have shoved the guy first (especially with 3 other cops nearby). If anything, he should have issue commands to step away, or he should have cuffed the guy until the situation was under control. Shoving / fighting is not ok "just because" (even though I really feel it should be in some cases).
 @cawlnaduckaduck You don't need to be a fry cook to know when the burger is burnt any more than you need to be a professional in police tactics to know that what the video showed was clearly excessive force.
 @Middle Ground You are a pansy, and bend over at any sign of confrontation. You are whats wrong with this world. Training will never overcome all human emotions. This officer was justified. You're name just says it all you can't make a decision in life.Â
Really? Does the application process to be a fry cook take 6-8 months with extensive background checks? You need to be a professional in police tactics to be able to define and appropriately determine when and where to use force.
All you saw was a short video of an "entire" sitation. You must take the "totality of the circumstances" in order to fairly judge a situation.
Good post.
I've watched this video at least three times now and I still don't see any problem with the Officer's reaction. Just because the citizen walked up to the officer and into his personal space with his hands up, doesn't mean the Officer is out of danger. It only takes a second for he/she to close his/her fist and start raining punches. The civilian was clearly disobeying the Officer's commands to back off and coupled with his continuous advances into the Officer's face the Officer was justified to "shove" him back.
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Also, it's quite disturbing to read that some here think that getting spat in the face is "no big deal." There's a reason why spitting in someone's face is considered an assault. Tuberculosis can me transmitted with bodily fluids as well as certain types of hepatitus (like the one Pamela Anderson has).
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People need to remember that 99% of the time police presence is reactionary, especially in Seattle. They are there because someone called 911. Something obviously warranted their presence in this incident, so why didn't the thug in this incident simply walk away when he was ordered to.
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Citizens of Seattle need to realize that just as there are only a handful of bad police officers that are ruining it for the vast majority of Officers that are good, the same can be said that there are only a handful of extreme liberals and media outlets that are ruining the City of Seattle.
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I applaud SPD's rank and file's efforts to identify and report unprofessional behavior, but from what I've seen in this video, this one should be categorized as "False Reporting."
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Good Luck Seattle. You're going to need it.
 @cawlnaduckaduck --> I've watched this video at least three times now and I still don't see any problem with the Officer's reaction. Just because the citizen walked up to the officer and into his personal space with his hands up, doesn't mean the Officer is out of danger. It only takes a second for he/she to close his/her fist and start raining punches. The civilian was clearly disobeying the Officer's commands to back off and coupled with his continuous advances into the Officer's face the Officer was justified to "shove" him back.
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So now you heard commands?Â
So if someone gets in my face, it's ok for me to beat them down or shove them away? I thought that was considered assault.Â
I would expect more from a pig that is "trained" to handle circumstances like this.
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As a civilian, if someone gets in your face after you repeatedly order them to get out of your way, then you have the right to "stand your ground." I am hoping that you are not like "Middle Ground" and will just bend over and take it.
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As a Police Officer, servicing a 911 call for shots (whether pellet or "real" gun) being fired in the area, when hostile and agitated subjects repeatedly get in your "safe zone" after being ordered to get back and/or disperse, you authorized and trained to neutralize and arrest the subject for disobeying a lawful command from an police officer and even go with inciting a riot. Now factor in the spit to the Officer's face. That is an assault and I am surprised that the Officer did not introduce his boot to the subjects buttocks.
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As far as his fellow Officers not supporting the "victim" Officer's reaction, well then I guess they wanted to tuck their tails in and take the "Middle Ground."
 @Cheese Exactly. Try "standing your ground" with a pig. Not a good idea unless you want to be arrested. Pigs are "above the law" and it total BS. No respect.
 @cawlnaduckaduck If someone was in my face, after telling them to back off several time, and I pushed them off, I'd probably be sued. Sure, in my mind, they deserve to be shoved away. Unfortunately, I could still be sued and arrested for assault. It's unfortunate because a lot of these a holes need a good kick in the bum. People will annoy you, be disrespectful, get in your face bacause there are no repercussions.Â
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Oh yeah, did you hear the pig "ordering" the perp me get away? Were you there, because I didn't hear anything on the video.
 @cawlnaduckaduck Pretty sure I saw the Police officer start to chest bump the guy before he got his face spit in. The Cop clearly lost his cool. Im glad you come to your buddies defense but calling the guy a thug is pretty irresponsible. How do we know he was a thug?? Because he had a flat billed hat?? Glad you advocate "standing your ground"... unless its a cop bullying you, then you have to take it like your buddy middle ground. Tempers will get the best of anybody. The police officer needs to learn some restraint just like citizens have learned to do so when having to deal with bullies hiding behind a badge.
@cawlnaduckaduck The media especially KOMONEWS is so anti cop they will make sure this officer is fired. No mention of why these thugs were in this situation in the first place.
Ah, yes there is, the cops were responding to a drive by shooting (with an air pistol). The crowd was probably there to start some trouble.Â
 @cawlnaduckaduck We can all be thankful that your observations are made with the same unprofessional knowledge that you accused derek of (above) and that your armchair quarterbacking carries absolutely zero weight in the real world.
So you know everything about my "professional" knowledge through my comments and my "handle" huh? I can tell you right now that I have more professional knowledge and experience in these matters than most people commenting here. If we were to pass judgement on just the actions that were recorded in this video, then I will bet my paycheck that the accusations against this Officer will be unfounded.
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If I am wrong, then I will not only donate my paycheck to charity but I will challenge you to let me spit in your face and not do anything about it.