The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation of the Seattle Police Department after a preliminary review raised concerns about the department’s use of unnecessary force and its dealings with minority citizens.
The public’s trust in the Seattle Police Department has been seriously undermined in light of a series of recent events. In one instance, a police officer used a racial slur and threatened to beat a suspect. Unfortunately, this person ended up not being the correct suspect. Another example was the widely publicized shooting of woodcarver John T. Williams.
These and other concerns were raised back in December, and the ACLU and many other community organizations raised a call for a federal probe.
There will be a second probe to determine if there were any civil rights violations committed in the John T. Williams case.
The reviews will look into department practices and training to determine if there have been any violations of federal or Constitutional law.
Seattle Police Chief John Diaz welcomes the review, calling the investigation a “free audit.” Diaz understands how these recent events have eroded the public’s trust in the department. He has asked the Justice officials to notify him immediately of any violations so that he can take corrective action right away, rather than waiting until the end of the investigation.