NWR: Seattle officer punches girl

Tygirljojo

Heard about this on my way into work this morning.  http://www.seattlepi.com/local/421775_officerpunch15.html?source=rss 

sarack

i know, i heard it too.. a little ridiculous if you ask me. i don't care if she pushed a cop... she doesn't deserve to be punched in the face.

alyssa324

I think they were wrong on both parts. Jay walking should not have escaladed to this. Also punching a women in the face should not be a defence tactic unless she is trying to I dont know stab you. I think the crowd made it worse.

Tygirljojo

That was my initial reaction too.  Although after reading the article and watching the video a couple times, I can't help but wonder about that punch - it just seemed so slow mo-ish.  It was really wierd.  Either way, the cop needs to be reviewed closely - it's a girl.  Although I can also see from his perspective where he was being attacked by a person who was intervening with an arrest.  Both girls need to learn to not be stupid.  The first one needs to not resist arrest and the second on in the pink was a complete idiot for trying to intervene - you can see the guy in the blue trying to keep her back, and instead she goes and not only pulls her friend away, but shoves the cop.  All around, not good decisions from the three involved IMO.  The cop's lucky a mob didn't come down on him for that move.

alyssa324

I cant believe a mob didnt go after him too. In that video you can see a few boys get close and think about helping the girl. But they all decide not to. There was enough people to really take the cop down and run and not be caught though.

heissls

The Police officer responded with great restraint. If you watch the KingTV uncut version (about a 9 minute video) it shows the original offender just would not stop. Good on our SPD. He could have (probably should have) responded much harsher but all he did was hit her. We could have easily been watching another Officer Burial if either had gotten ahold of his gun.

apnk2005

While I don't necessarily agree that the cop should have punched the girl, given the amount of police deaths within the past few years, I would have been terrified if I was him, and probably would have reacted that way too.  Like you all said, he was surrounded by a mob of people who could have gone crazy on him.  Those girls were stupid for not just saying "oh, sorry officer, we won't jaywalk next time."  It's not like he was trying to rape them, or even arrest them (well, until they started fighting).  They might have gotten a ticket, AT MOST.  It got escalated way too far, but I just can't blame the officer.  Those girls were fighting and pushing tooth and nail.  That area, I think, has a lot of gang violence, and he had no way of knowing if they had weapons, etc.  I would be a lot more pissed if they started fighting, and he said, "oh well, sorry, go on your way, then."  That's how people think they can get away with stuff that IS a big deal, like robbery, because they get away with little stuff, like jaywalking in front a police officer.

I suspect this is not going to be a popular opinion, but I think she did deserve it.  Should he have punched her?  Probably not.  Did she deserve it?  Probably yes.

Just had to add my two cents.

heissls

If there is someone out there that really doesn't agree that a punch (which is non-life threatening) wasn't a good way for the officer to respond in this situation and get it under control, what woud have been a good effective alternative?

apnk2005

Good question Heissls.  After watching the video, it looks like the girl didn't even have a bloody nose (although it's hard to tell for sure).  She really wouldn't quit.  Should he have maced her, tased her?  Shot her, maybe?  I think he made the best decision he could, given the circumstances (although I also think he probably shouldn't have talked to the guy with the camera phone except to tell him to back off).  He only hit her once.  I think the outcry would be a lot more justified if he had kept beating on her, but the only thing he did after that was try to restrain both girls.

jennlin

i think the cop was amazing...he was able to get her away with a simple punch...he could've done much worse, or would have to continue to fight with two feisty girls. i really am surprised that nobody else intervened. there were a lot of people...and regardless of high crime rate...somebody should've tried harder to pull the (original) girl away.

irshis20

I think the officer responded completely appropriately. Those girls are fools, and the crowd that had gathered to film the goings-on, cuss out the officer and "free" the girls did not help. She assaulted an officer, and officers are trained to put an immediate stop to an aggressive suspect with any force deemed necessary. With the way the girls were carrying on, how was he to know that they wouldn't try to reach for his gun? He did what he needed to to stop the entire thing from escalading.

The crowd actually did get involved, even trying to shield the girls and walk them away. Those kids better learn real quick that a command from a police officer is not a negotiation.

Koolkay83

Yeah, we were talkinga bout this at work today. He was in a situation why he was trying to settle a conflict with 2 teenage girls, and the girls made it worst for the guy. He acted appropiately, because he was threaten (what is the girl in the pink grabbed his gun?) The best way I think is if they are acting that why, he should mased the gal in the pink while he try to handcuff the other and handcuff the girl in the black and give her medical attention of the mase.