The King County Prosecutor's office announced today that it won't be filing charges against Detective Shandy Cobane, who told a Latino suspect in April that he would “beat the fucking Mexican piss out of you, homey," while investigating an incident at the China Harbor Restaurant on South Lake Union. Officers later released the man after realizing he was not the offender they were after.

"We have determined that Detective Shandy Cobane did not commit the felony crime of malicious harassment, the state's 'Hate Crime' law," stated Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg in a statement and legal analysis released today (.pdf). Prosecutors say Cobane didn't target and harass the suspect because of his race, as stipulated under the law.

Video footage surfaced in early May showing Cobane yelling at the suspect and apparently stomping the man's head against the concrete, and another officer stomping the man’s kneecap against the pavement.

UPDATE: Police Chief John Diaz releases a statement on the prosecuting attorney's decision via the SPD Blotter, which says among other things, "I have contacted City Attorney Peter Holmes and asked him to review the case. The Office of Professional Accountability (OPA) investigation has yet to be completed and remains a very high priority."