Normally I don’t comment on local incidents like this, but this video is just too much. Can you believe all of this started because of a jaywalking offense?
KOMO News: According to Seattle police, the incident began when an officer spotted a man jaywalking in the 3100 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way S. at approximately 3:10 p.m. The man was some 15 feet away from a pedestrian overpass, police said.
The officer was talking to the man when he saw four young women jaywalk across the same street at the same spot. The officer asked the women to step over to his patrol car, but the women were being "verbally antagonistic toward the officer," according to officials.
One of the women, later identified as a 19 year old, began to walk away from the scene despite the officer's instructions, prompting the officer to walk over to her and escort her back to his patrol car.
The girl then "began to tense up her arm, and pull away from the officer while yelling at him," investigators said. The officer told the girl to place her hands on his patrol car, but she refused. When the officer tried to grab hold of her, "she pulled away and twisted, breaking free of the officer's grip several times," the blotter report said.
When the officer tried to handcuff the girl, another girl, this one 17 years old, intervened and placed her hands on the officer's arm, "causing the officer to believe she was attempting to physically affect the first subject's escape," police said.
The officer pushed back the second girl, but the girl came back at him. The officer then punched her, police said. [MORE]
First, I have to ask is catching jaywalkers really that big a deal? I know it is dangerous and can cause some very serious accidents, but I never considered it a noticeable offence. Maybe it is because I grew up in NYC where jaywalking is almost a necessity.
Now regarding the two girls, what the hell were they thinking? They took a simple situation where at worst all they would have gotten was a ticket and turned it into a nightmare. Did they think they could just walk away from the cop after he pulled them over? Did they think they could get into a struggle with him and somehow have a happy ending? Regarding the girl who got decked, sorry she was asking for it. You just can’t shove and tussle with the police like they were one of your peers.
Regarding the cop, he should have called for back up the second the second the two girls showed signs they were not going to listen to his commands. It should have been a tip off that he was going to have to deal with the both of them rather than just one.
What the hell is up with the crowd? Did none of these people think to help calm the girls down? Everyone is so busy capturing the YouTube moment; no one thought to tell the girls they were making things worse for themselves. Perhaps if a few people shouted, “Calm down, or you will be arrested” reality might have sunk in for these girls.
Finally, expect race to fuel this story big time. A white cop punching a black woman is no doubt one of the main reasons why this video went viral in the first place. If everyone involved were all the same color, I don’t think this video would have half the impact. Sad, but true.
Via: Memeorandum
Via: KOMO News