Tagged: Seattle Police

A 34-foot totem pole honoring slain First Nations woodcarver John T. Williams was carried from the Seattle Waterfront to Seattle Center and raised by some 90 people on Sunday. The pole was carried to its final destination with traditional singing, drumming, and dancing. 

Police used pepper spray to break up fights among pushing and shoving customers waiting outside a Seattle area mall to buy the first Nike retro Air Jordan basketball shoes that went on sale early Friday.

Have you ever wondered what a Seattle police officer does all day? You’re not alone.

The department says it typically has long waiting lists of people who want to ride along on patrols. Now it’s offering a way to virtually give everyone a chance to see the action.   

Seattle homicide detectives on Sunday afternoon fatally shot a man who was a suspect in the stabbing death of an 84-year-old employee at a self-storage facility in the city's Interbay neighborhood. The suspect had been using the victim's credit cards.

Detectives used photos to track him down in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood, at the bustling corner of 4th Avenue and Cedar Street. Seattle Police spokesman Mark Jamieson told KPLU the murder suspect attacked detectives, forcing them to fire their weapons.

Police, fire and all other departments in Seattle have been asked to find budget cuts for next year. Mayor Mike McGinn has instructed every office to look for trims because of lagging city revenues.

"We have nothing to hide" – those were the words of Seattle's chief of police yesterday.  The department is under fire. 

The questions stem from a federal review of the fatal shooting of a first nation's wood carver last August, as well as what many people perceive as a prior pattern of  abusive violence against minority groups.

Making headlines around the Northwest this morning:

• Did Seattle Police Violate DUI Procedures?
• Reforms at Monroe Prison After Guard's Killing
• Electronic Billboard Fight Brews in Tacoma

DUI Prosecutions in Seattle on Hold

Some drunk driving cases have been suspended by City Attorney Pete Holmes while Seattle Police investigate how its DUI squad handled procedures.

On Monday, SPD admitted it is reviewing allegations procedures in the unit were not properly handled. according to The Seattle Times:

The investigation has forced the department to pull all but one member of its five-member DUI Squad from the street and assign them to desk duties, according to police.

Making headlines around the Northwest this morning:

• Report: Seattle Police Don't Abuse Use of Force
• Supreme Court Sides With Local Peace Activist
• Gonzaga Makes NCAA Field

Seattle Police: Our Use of Force "Rare"

Seattle Police say the public's impression that officers are using more physical force is wrong.  In fact, a new department report makes the case that use of force is rare. The SeattlePI.com's Casey McNerthny details  a number of recent incidents where officers have been under scrutiny for charges of excessive force.  Still, the report: