Federal Justice Department begins review of Seattle police

SEATTLE — The federal Justice Department has begun a preliminary review of the Seattle Police Department after the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington and nearly three dozen other groups sought an investigation of officers’ use of force.

In December, the ACLU and the other groups contended that some Seattle police appear to “inflict injury out of anger” at suspects, especially minorities.

U.S. attorney’s office spokeswoman Emily Langlie tells The Seattle Times that U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan of Seattle has met with officials from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C., as well as representatives from the city, the Police Department and the groups that signed the letter.

Langlie says officials are trying to determine the scope of the review.