From the Seattle Medium:
On Friday, The Black Law Enforcement Association of Washington (BLEAW) publicly defended the actions of Seattle Police Officer Ian Walsh, the officer who punched a 17-year-old Black female in the face after jaywalking incident escalated in to volatile situation, and denounced the actions of the two Black women involved in the incident, which has garnered national media attention.
In a statement issued by BLEAW, the organization stated that they believe that the incident was not racially motivated and that officer Walsh was justified in his actions.
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“This incident was unfortunate and clearly the behavior and actions by both females was embarrassing,” said the statement. “As regrettable as it looks, the officer had used great restraint in dealing with the female that had pushed him. He maintained a professional demeanor while in an adverse and potentially volatile situation.”
BLEAW maintains that the officer was justified in his use of force as he was “defending himself with a punch”, after being pushed by the by the teen during the altercation.
