In an incident occurring on January 13, witnesses say that Seattle police officers were seen punching a man multiple times while he lay handcuffed on the ground.
The defendant was initially arrested for wandering in traffic and would not stop when requested to do so by police. When the man was wrestled to the ground and handcuffed, he spit at the officers. Witnesses say that the man was hit two or three times in the face.
Sergeant Sean Whitcomb responded to these allegations by stating that the force may have been appropriate in this instance because the defendant was spitting at the officers.
Officers often take action when they are spit at, because it is considered a serious assault. Exposure to dangerous pathogens poses a threat to their safety. The question remains however, if officers are allowed to use force on someone who is handcuffed.
The two witnesses involved have a somewhat different recount of the incident. Freelance radio show reporter Vanessa Romo witnessed the incident and called her boyfriend radio show host Luke Burbank to come to the scene and assist her. She stated that the man was not running, or resisting arrest. She said he was tackled so hard that his face “bounced off the pavement.” The two witnesses involved claim that when they reported what they saw, they were met with rude and belligerent behavior on the part of the police sergeant.
Two investigations have been opened regarding this incident; one addressing use of force, and the other pertaining to how the police sergeant handled the witnesses.