Civil rights groups want Seattle police video probe

[foxfeet]

By KING 5 News and Associated Press
KING5
updated 11 minutes ago
SEATTLE – More controversy surrounds Seattle police officers caught on tape, yelling a racial slur then kicking an innocent Latino man. Now some civil rights organizations are asking, is this incident a hate crime?

A Seattle FBI spokesman said his agency will conduct a preliminary inquiry into a videotaped incident in which Seattle police officers are seen stomping on a man's head and body and using a racial epithet.

The NAACP is expected to make an announcement Tuesday, asking the case be handled like a hate crime. Other prominent civil rights groups are asking the same question and want the Department of Justice to intervene and investigate the incident as well.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37083571

[Downtown Hound]

1. Are they actually suggesting that a cop be charged for a crime

like the rest of us are for once? Well, I'll be...

[foxfeet]

2. Why, yes, they are.

I'll be interested to see if they can get hate-crime charges tacked on. It seems to fit under our state's hate-crime law.

Interestingly, there was a recent trial in Snohomish County (north of Seattle) in which a cop was charged with murder for shooting an intoxicated man who was trying to drive away. He was found "not guilty," but I was impressed that the Prosecuting Attorney saw fit to pursue a criminal case. IIRC, a civil case for wrongful death has yet to be heard.

[Liberal_in_LA]

3. crazy talk! Charge a cop with a crime?

[foxfeet]

5. Kinda takes your breath away, doesn't it?

But I view it as progress when the PTB are willing to consider the criminal implications of misbehaving cops. That is not intended to bash the cops who are justifiably pissed and embarassed at the actions of their colleague. Their jobs are just made more difficult when this kind of thing happens.

[Tesha]

7. As more and more of these incidents are thoroughly caught on video, ...

...they either *MUST* start charging the cops with the crimes or
surrender any pretense that we have "equal justice under law".

Tesha

[Uncle Joe]

4. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, foxfeet.

[foxfeet]

6. I'll keep posting updates as things develop.

:hi: