Tag Archives: SPD

Meet the one woman holding down SPD’s Bias Crimes Unit

While the Seattle Police Department has kept track of biased crime cases for decades — it has to be reported to the feds — a unit dedicated to investigating the reports is only a few years old. It sits underneath the homicide and assault units. The person in charge? Detective Beth Wareing.

Contextualizing the death of Charleena Lyles: National and local patterns where people of color die disproportionately at the hands of police

Seattle’s jagged mountains were shaded blue the morning Charleena Lyles was fatally shot by Steven McNew and Jason Anderson of the Seattle Police Department (SPD), matching that of the community’s reaction to such police violence: tragic and somewhat jaded, topped with anger as sharp as the rocky skyline. Lyles’ death tacks on yet another nameContinue reading “Contextualizing the death of Charleena Lyles: National and local patterns where people of color die disproportionately at the hands of police”

Cauce addresses student senate in wake of Red Square shooting

The ASUW Student Senate convened for a meeting last night, asking for UW President Ana Mari Cauce to answer some questions regarding the Jan. 20 Red Square shooting. Most of the questions posed over the evening revolved around UW resources, asking the administration to be more proactive than reactive. Many expressed concern for safety and frustrationContinue reading “Cauce addresses student senate in wake of Red Square shooting”

UW student settles for $100,000 with SPD

In 2012, UW student David Pontecorvo was capturing video on his cellphone as Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers arrived for a noise complaint. During their dispatch, the officers decided to beat the then-19-year-old Pontecorvo with batons, flashlights, and fists. In October, his case settled in court for $100,000. Pontecorvo’s litigation filed against SPD, the CityContinue reading “UW student settles for $100,000 with SPD”

Discussion panel on past and present protests from WTO to Ferguson

History tends to repeat itself. In 1999, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) came under fire for its militarization in reponse to the so-called Battle of Seattle in which the World Trade Organization (WTO) faced more than 40,000 protesters. Recently, Ferguson, Mo., has faced similar police action in the wake of the Saint Louis County grandContinue reading “Discussion panel on past and present protests from WTO to Ferguson”