King County, Wash., sheriff's deputy fired over threats to news editor
Source: Seattle Times
A King County sheriff’s deputy who threatened to arrest an editor for The Stranger weekly newspaper during a sidewalk confrontation in July has been fired by Sheriff John Urquhart.
Deputy Patrick Saulet, a 27-year veteran with a troubled disciplinary history, was terminated at the end of the business day Monday, according to Urquhart.
Urquhart found that Saulet “took exception” to Dominic Holden, The Stranger’s news editor, lawfully doing his job on public property, according to a Jan. 30 disciplinary letter sent to Saulet.
... “Your ill-advised actions also play to some of the most basic fears among some citizens, which is that a police officer may indiscriminately exercise his or her power in violation of their rights, because in the event of a complaint, the officer will just deny the allegation and ‘circle the wagons’ with his or her fellow officers on the expectation they will take care of their own,” Urquhart wrote.
Read more: http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2022830519_deputyfiredxml.html
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Sheriff Fires Cop Who Threatened to Arrest Me for Taking Photos of Cops
By Dominic Holden
http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2014/02/03/sheriff-fires-cop-who-threatened-to-arrest-me-for-taking-photos-of-cops
... For the record: I'm not gleeful that Saulet got fired, although it's welcome evidence that Urquhart takes complaints seriously. This incident—and my complaint—is not about me. After growing up in this town, I believe that certain cops regularly submit civilians (particularly racial minorities) to abusive treatment—much more abusive than what I faced here. Often, folks don't complain, and when they do, the record shows, bad cops are often wholly or partially exonerated, even when they're guilty. We know from a US Department of Justice investigation that Seattle cops have a practice of using excessive force, and we know from internal audits that the King County Sheriff's Office has had problems disciplining bad cops. So now, more than ever, I think citizens should complain if they encounter hostile, unconstitutional, or violent policing. Sheriff Urquhart has only been in office about one year. Again, it's good to see him taking complaints against problem cops seriously. Most cops are not problem cops. Most work hard and keep us safe. It's miserable that abusive cops ruin those good cops' reputations, and if we're going to get from here to a place where the public trusts the police more, it will require police brass continuing to punish the bad apples, as Urquhart has done.
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