SEATTLE — A Seattle teen shown on video shoving a police officer who then punched her in the face has apologized to officer Ian Walsh on Friday. Police said Walsh accepted the apology.
Separately, the King County prosecutor charged the 17-year-old girl as a juvenile with third-degree assault. That’s punishable by a maximum 30 days in detention.
The incident happened Monday as the teen was intervening in a friend’s arrest for jaywalking. James Kelly of the Urban League of Seattle told KOMO-TV he requested the meeting between the teen and the officer to help calm the situation.
Police have said the department’s civilian-led Office of Professional Accountability is investigating the 39-year-old officer’s actions.
Prosecutor Dan Satterberg said “the law is clear, you can’t shove a police officer, period.”
Mayor pressured to select police chief
Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn said he has two well-qualified candidates for the job of police chief, and the recent video of an officer punching a woman doesn’t change his decision-making process.
McGinn told KING-TV Thursday he’s not disclosing a timetable for naming a new chief.
The two candidates are Seattle Acting Chief John Diaz and East Palo Alto, Calif., Chief Ron Davis.
City Attorney Peter Holmes urged the mayor Thursday to make a decision and rectify what he called a leadership void in the Seattle police force.
That led the Seattle Police Officers Guild to respond it was inappropriate for Holmes to publicly criticize police leadership.
Guild President Rich O’Neill said if Diaz is not selected it would support reopening the selection process.
Associated Press
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