Panel: Seattle police should apologize for protest violence

Source: Associated Press

Panel: Seattle police should apologize for protest violence

April 19, 2023

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Police Department should “offer a sincere, public apology” for its violent response to people demonstrating after the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, a panel of officers, citizens and accountability experts concluded in a report released Tuesday.

In its fourth and final review of the Seattle police response to the months of racial justice protests in 2020, the city’s Office of Inspector review panel found officers and commanders repeatedly failed to recognize the difference between the throngs of protesters exercising their First Amendment rights and the few troublemakers, The Seattle Times reported.

Panelists — who included community members, police accountability proponents, and police officers and commanders — also acknowledged the “longstanding trauma and fear” many have of law enforcement as a result of racism and discrimination within the department.

The police actions that caused the protests, as well as the inability of the police department and the city “to immediately craft particularized responses to the needs of peaceful protesters while addressing threats to public order and safety,” have had “deep and lasting” effects, Seattle Inspector General Lisa Judge said.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/protests-seattle-police-violence-apology-ec8b6890ae4102d3b2ae5c9a3e738ab6