A Seattle police officer who was recorded on a cell phone camera punching an alleged jaywalker in the face has been temporarily reassigned, a department spokesman said Wednesday.
Ian Walsh has been taken off patrol duty and placed in a training unit to review police tactics, Detective Mark Jamieson said.
Walsh, who joined the force in November 2007, has not been disciplined in the Monday incident, which remains under investigation, Jamieson said. The event has been referred to the police’s Office of Professional Accountability for review, he said.
According to a police statement, Walsh was on patrol and in uniform Monday afternoon when he stopped a young man for jaywalking.
While interacting with the man, Walsh observed four women jaywalking at the same location and ordered them to step over to his cruiser, police said. The department described the women as being “verbally antagonistic toward the officer.”
One of the women began to walk away and appeared to raise her hand in a dismissive gesture after being ordered to step over to the car, police said.
Walsh escorted the woman back to the cruiser, but she then started to yell at him and pull away, “breaking free of the officer’s grip several times,” police said.
When the officer tried to handcuff the woman, another woman placed her hands on the officer’s arm, police said.
“The officer pushed the second subject back, but she again came at the officer, at which time he punched her,” police said.
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Article courtesy cnn.com
Video courtesy SmarTrend News
