Trial begins for deputy accused of assault
SEATTLE — The assault trial began Tuesday in King County Superior Court for a man accused of beating a 15-year-old girl in a holding cell at the SeaTac City Hall.
She was a car theft suspect who was taken down violently in November 2008 after she kicked a shoe at Deputy Paul Schene. The incident was caught on video. Schene was fired last September.
Prosecutors played the tape in court and said Schene had failed to report slamming the girl into a wall, throwing her to the floor and striking her.
A defense lawyer said the girl provoked the attack with her behavior and yelling profanity.
Investigators believe that anger about the beating might have motivated Christopher Monfort who is accused of killing a Seattle police officer.
Activists file immigration initiative again
Proponents of stricter immigration rules have again filed an initiative to the people in Olympia, which demands the state ask for proof of citizenship for a person applying for a driver’s license.
The initiative also calls for the state to adopt E-Verify, a federal government program that checks a person’s work eligibility in the country.
To qualify for the ballot, sponsors at the group “Respect Washington” say they need 241,153 valid signatures from voters to be collected by July 2. For several years, they have failed to garner enough signatures.
Sponsors say the initiative does not restrict emergency medical care to illegal immigrants.
Washington state is one of four states that still allows illegal immigrants to get driver’s licenses. This practice avoided running afoul with federal rules when Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano delayed implementation of a national identification law last year.
$10 million available for Puget Sound grant
The Environmental Protection Agency plans to award $10 million in grants this spring to help improve the health of Puget Sound.
The federal agency said Tuesday that the money will be targeted for scientific research to support the Puget Sound Action Agenda, a plan for cleaning up the sound. A grant also will go to an organization that builds awareness of issues affecting the sound and promoting citizen action.
Organizations seeking the grants must submit proposals by March 2.
2 shot to death in Seattle home invasion
Two men were shot to death in a home invasion robbery in north Seattle.
Police said they responded to a call about 11 p.m. Monday night and found the fatally wounded men. They were taken to Harborview Medical Center where they died Tuesday morning.
Police are looking for three men who fled the home on foot and at least one is armed with a gun.
Suspect may be a serial rapist, police say
The King County sheriff’s office says a man suspected of raping a woman who answered an ad for a nude model may be a serial rapist.
The 22-year-old Skyway man was arrested Friday and is held in the county jail in Kent on $500,000 bail pending charges.
The sheriff’s office says he attacked a woman Thursday when she pulled into a parking lot. There was a similar attack on Dec. 20 and two such attacks on Dec. 9. Detectives believe there may be more victims who responded to the ad posted on Craigslist.
Coyote injures pet dog in Seattle
Seattle police who initially said that a coyote had fatally injured a pet dog in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood have updated their statement to note the dog is “expected to make a full recovery.”
Or, as they put it: “deceased dog’s condition upgraded to alive.”
The Seattle Times reported that police responded to the Monday afternoon attack and took the injured Chihuahua-pug, Tina, and her owner LaQuita Fenton to a nearby vet’s office, where Fenton was told there was no hope for survival. But Fenton sought a second opinion at the Seattle Animal Shelter, where she was told there was hope, but the necessary care would cost about $1,000. Fenton says she’s unemployed so she signed her dog over to the shelter and Tina was taken to an emergency vet center for successful surgery for some puncture wounds and torn neck muscles.
Two individuals who had seen news reports about the attack volunteered to pay the $932 bill, allowing Fenton to take Tina back. The dog was reunited with her family Tuesday evening.
Port Angeles: Clallam Co. treasurer missing more than $500K
A Washington state auditor’s review shows more than $500,000 is missing from the Clallam County treasurer’s office. That word came Tuesday in a joint statement from the treasurer’s office and the county sheriff’s office.
A seven-month state investigation looked at records back to 2004.
The joint statement said the audit was triggered by the action of a treasurer’s office employee who has been terminated.
Sheriff Bill Benedict told the Peninsula Daily News the female former employee is no longer living in Port Angeles but the state auditor’s office knows where she is.
The auditor’s office would not comment on the statement. It is expected to release its report by the end of January. Benedict says the report will be turned over to the state attorney general’s office and Port Angeles police will pursue an investigation.
Tacoma: Anderson Island mother accused of cutting child
The Pierce County sheriff’s office said a woman on Anderson Island cut her 18-month-old child with a knife Tuesday and threatened to take her own life.
Sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said the wound is superficial, and the child was treated at Mary Bridge Hospital in Tacoma. The mother also was taken to a hospital.
Troyer said the incident started with a dispute between a man and the woman.
Forks: New mayor fires police chief
The new mayor of Forks has fired the police chief.
Mayor Bryon Monohon said in a statement he’s decided the police department needs new leadership. He declined to comment further on his reasons for dismissing Mike Powell, saying it was a personnel issue.
Monohon officially took office Jan. 1. He took action Monday against Powell, who was hired in February 2001 by then-Mayor Phil Arbeiter.
Deputy Chief Lloyd Lee was named acting police chief. In addition to Lee, the department has five other patrol officers.
A Peninsula Daily News call to Powell’s cell phone went directly to voice mail and he did not return messages for comment.
Wenatchee: Boy, 4, chokes to death on hot dog
Numerous attempts to use the Heimlich maneuver failed to dislodge a hot dog from the throat of a 4-year-old Wenatchee boy.
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Harum said the boy, Antonio Arriaga, was pronounced dead Saturday at Central Washington Hosital.
The boy choked on the hot dog at a family gathering, and the Heimlich chest press was performed by a sheriff’s deputy and Wenatchee police who responded to the home.
Gig Harbor: Police find missing baby, father arrested
Pierce County sheriff’s deputies have found a missing baby boy in a wooded area of the Key Peninsula near Gig Harbor and have taken his father into custody.
Sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said a SWAT team surrounded 23-year-old Justin Smith shortly before 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. A short time earlier, they found his 11-month-old son in the woods. Troyer said the boy appears to be fine, but will be checked at a Gig Harbor hospital.
Troyer said Smith allegedly took the child from a home Tuesday morning after the boy’s mother was choked and assaulted. He said Smith was found by a Puyallup police officer with a tracking dog.
From Herald news services
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
