terrific!

Good on you, Mayor McGinn.

I'm expecting the same of Sheriff Urqhart, given all of his big talk during his campaign. Let's see if he delivers.

Ed Murray for Mayor.

Because Mike McGinn's police department threatens the freedom of the press.

Dominic, you are doing good and important civic work with this. I hope more of the press and public pick up this story and others like it. There should be a clear line between a civil police department and a gang of bullies. It's up to the citizenry to not only police that line, but ultimately fix these governmental agencies.

Keep up the good work and keep up the pressure on the system to do its job.

Uhhhh, perhaps you should also speak with the Sheriff.. Maybe you get a good response there as well....

Dominic - You just fell into a verbal trap that's an enormous key to the problem you're trying to address:

"I'm sure some police officers talk to civilians in Seattle this way all the time..."

A police officer is a civilian.

They are not the military; they are citizens of Seattle, sworn, authorized and empowered to protect and aid their fellow citizens.

And the more often that distinction is ignored - by both police officers and the citizens they serve - the worse this shit is gonna get.

#6 when a cop is wearing a uniform and a sidearm, they are most definitely not citizens any longer, they fall into another category that turns them into armed agents of the judicial system. What they do on their off hours is their own business where they are supposed to turn, Jeckle and Hyde like, into normal civilians again.

To think of themselves as 'one of us' when they are on the job is a mistake a cop won't make more than once or twice if they want to keep their job. I hate to sound insensitive but maintaining 'flexible morality' is a job requirement for people who have to overcome normal human behavior like walking away from a fight or running into a burning building.

Most of these people don't live in Seattle either, I don't have statistical evidence of that, but I've yet to meet a cop that lives here.

See, this is what happens when we spend only $41 million on implementing the DOJ reforms. Can we elect a shadow mayor over McGinn ?

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2…
McGinn: DOJ plan to cost $41M; but feds say that's 'simply wrong'

In a radio interview, Mayor Mike McGinn asserted that the scope of the federal plan for the Seattle Police Department could saddle the city with a "shadow mayor" and cost $41 million a year.

Is is sexy when you hold people accountable Dominic.

Yet his cops MURDER people (such as John T. Williams, who was doing NOTHING to even warrant being detained), and that's okay by him...let's just allow him to quietly resign and go be a murderer elsewhere.
Yes, I KNOW they talk to people like this all the time...I know of a woman FOUR of them crowded around when she was just taking pics of them harassing people, they jostled and threatened her. NOTHING was ever done, and one of them continued to harass her every time he saw her.

I heard Sheriff Urquhart on KUOW Weekday on July 22nd (Bonus! Mary Lambert who sang on Thrift Shop was on the show too) and was very impressed by his passion and rhetoric. I'm optimistic that the KC Sheriff's Dept. will benefit from his leadership.

Historically Metro Transit Police has had a reputation of being a dumping ground for problem deputies. Perhaps we need to direct some pressure on Sound Transit and Metro to have higher expectations of their contracted transit police.

I heard Sheriff Urquhart on KUOW Weekday on July 22nd (Bonus! Mary Lambert who sang on Same Love was on the show too) and was very impressed by his passion and rhetoric. I'm optimistic that the KC Sheriff's Dept. will benefit from his leadership.

Historically Metro Transit Police has had a reputation of being a dumping ground for problem deputies. Perhaps we need to direct some pressure on Sound Transit and Metro to have higher expectations of their contracted transit police.

@6 A police officer is a civilian, but there are too many instances where a police department acts too much like a uniformed street gang, "The gang in blue." Too often, they abandon their civil ties to the community, and adopt an adversarial posture, only relating to other officers, hewing to a "code of silence," and putting their "brotherhood" over the community.

I live in a Brooklyn precinct where this went on a number of years ago and the whole precinct had a broom taken to it to clean it up. Cops retired, dismissed or reassigned, new commander, the works.

It looks like Seattle has it much worse, and being a much smaller department, there isn't as much depth to shake things up. Also, the gang-in-blue culture has been there too long and spread too wide to find enough clean and civil cops to fix a given command. It needs fixing. If you have to fire half of the officers and hire new ones to do it, then that's what you have to do.

Thank you, Dominic. When your rights are infringed, mine become a little more meaningless than they already are. You are doing good work here.

@6 yes, absolutely. @13, to some extent.

And kudos to our mayor for jumping in early. It's true that it'd be different if it weren't Dom but it is...and so now we leverage that and make the most of it for those who are scared or can't. Not everyone gets their own journalist when they deal with the cops but if the cops get blown up enough about this, everyone becomes a faux-journalist. Card in hand, photo-rights laminated card in wallet, camera ready.

Only criminals don't want to be observed and documented in public spheres.

@6 They are not all "citizens" of Seattle. Many take their luxurious salaries and buy a nice home in the suburbs. (Good for them.) There's no requirement that they be residents of the City of Seattle.

Oh, f'gawd's sake. I'm with you 90% of the way on this: the cops were way out of line, punishably out of line, when they tried to stop you filming, and when they were obnoxious to you. You're right to stand up for all of our rights here, and to demand that the cops get better at their real job - which is to be our society's accountable, auditable, watchable means of supplying security and even force when strictly needed and thoroughly considered - not to be mindless thugs doing whatever they want.

... but: the officer didn't threaten to stalk and harass you; he used a variation on the old comedian's comeback to a heckler. He saw you - wrongly as interfering in his duties at his workplace, and asked whether you'd like it if someone came and interfered with your duties at your workplace. He was wrong! You had every right to be there filming and asking questions! Criticize him for that! But he wasn't threatening to hunt you down and extract revenge, the way you seem to be portraying it.

Also: McGinn is playing you. The election is imminent, and empty mouthings of sympathy to the news editor of The Stranger are a good idea. You're being too credulous here, as even you seem to realize when you point out you're getting special attention - not just because of who you are, but because the election ends Tuesday. Why not examine his record with the cops, instead? He's been in a position to act with respect to the police for years - why pay so much attention to a press release four days before the polls close?

@17: right on both points. The cop's threat was obviously rhetorical. He's not going to be stupid enough to walk into the Stranger office and illegally harass a reporter on camera -- though the reporter would love it if he did. And Dominic should have mentioned that the Mayor's note is entirely without substance.

The sad thing is hes only saying that because this newspaper backed McGinn and one of its most popular and loved (if not most lived) contributors documented being harassed.

McGinn had ZERO problem when scores of Seattle African Americans, Latinos and Natives were complaining about their treatment by the SPD. He even went to bat for the SPD and defended their policies towards people of color against the DOJ. Anyone really think he would give 2 boxes of cat litter if it wasnt so close to the election, or the person reporting it wasnt a famous and widely read/respected newspaper reporter?

I think the frame of this story is really ignoring the impetus. Holden was witnesses yet another example of SPD officers harassing and abusing a black seattlite. THATS why they were so alarmed and frustrated that he had a camera.

The story has become more about Mr Holden, but the issue is not how the SPD treats famous, white, well connected and (rightfully) popular newspaper reporters, its that this reporter caught the SPD doing what the DOJ, the cities black community and black workers, natives, students and latinos have been saying theyve been doing for years. Being bigoted, bullying, and doing their damndest to cover for it.

I am glad you were the one the SPD chose to bully this time, Dominic. Way to go: hold 'em accountable and expose this crap.

How often do they do this to citizens who don't have the power of your voice and pen? Absolutely unacceptable.

Saw the write-up in Romenesko.

Jesus, Dom. Let the story unfold before you write 500 words on every niggling detail.

Yes, you've got a great story and you should run run run. But you've also got a great big platform. You've had it long enough you should know how to use it. Relax. We don't need updates and "what's more..."s every goddamn time you think of another reason to let the words pour out of your brain.

Run updates, follow the story without comment for a while, and wait for the big events before plastering essays on our eyes. Otherwise, it's hard to believe you when you say "this isn't all about me."

Also: fucking cops. You guys should have "there are cameras everywhere" tattoo'd on the insides of your eyelids.

I can't believe McGinn spouting crap from the hand book is enough to get people to think there is some sort of action, let alone change, in the works.

Bullshit lipservice from a mayor that has done nothing but suck the cops off about what a great job they do under incredible circumstances.(Oh, dear, let me intercede betwixt you and that mean old DOJ. They just don't get it... like they didn't get in LA. THIS IS WAR) All because that business money loves a jack booted gang making their side of the city a sparkly clean tourist trap.

Clear public stances do not bring institutional reforms. Consent Decrees do. But McGin is all talk and no rock.

Stop cryin bitch. To bad the cops made you look like a fool. But did they shoot ur yuppie ass? No. You didn't even get a beating.

@17 big difference between an armed police officer saying he's going to come to your work and harass you and a comedian saying it. Especially in this city where SPD has a piss poor reputation and track record for being racist bullies (Shandy Cobane etc) and even cold blooded murderers such as Ian Birk.

I don't support abuse of citizens...but I will say this.

Just like in LA, the police in this region for the past 20 years were turned from law enforcers to social firewall between the wealthy insular high density high priced real estate and the hoi polloi that surrounded them.

It was your Social Engineering that wrote off wide swaths of places like South King County and allowed them to be free fire zones so long as the police made sure it didn't leak up to Redmond and Wallingford.

They become not so much police, as soldiers, on patrol in Iraq...waiting for the random mental patient to stab or shot them at will.

Politicians who suddenly stick their noses up in the air when it was them and the urbanists who made the situation what is today are simply hypocrites.

Has John Carlson defended these pigs on KVI yet?

@7: You're doing a good job of proving my point for me. Police officers should not perceive themselves - nor be allowed to by the people they serve - as a force above the law, or excepted from it in any way except those additional powers granted by the citizenry.

@13: See above. And yeah, it doesn't help when Federal "homeland security" subsidies have made it easier, if not downright attrctive, for police forces to become even more militarized. (Not that this wasn't a problem pre-9/11.)

@16: Gold star for logic-chopping and pedantry. Point stands.

Interesting that the cop was talking about going to Dom's workplace, as though the City streets are the cop's workplace. No, SPD, they are OUR streets. You're hired to keep them safe, not treat them like your personal property.

#30 these people are not conflict avoiders like most citizens, they willingly put themselves in harm's way by dealing with drunks and assholes all day, every day. Now you want them to live by the same standards of behavior as people who quit looking for trouble? Nobody understands except other cops, the wall goes up and gets another brick everyday. NOT civilians, a world apart.

@35: That's the job. They applied for, got hired, and trained for this job. Being polite to a citizen who is not posing a threat or breaking the law seems like a minimum standard of conduct for a public servant.

Learning the difference between when you need to control a situation and when you need to de-escalate a situation is also important, albeit more difficult.

#35

Doesnt seem like thats what they were doing. The whole reason Holden stopped was because he noticed they were swarming and harassing a young black male.

So, is it part of the SPD/KCSD's job to harass (and potentially assault) people of color, as well?

@35- "Now you want them to live by the same standards of behavior as people who quit looking for trouble?"

Yes. That is actually part of the job description. If they can't, they should find another job.

Dominic has taking this to an obvious level that a reporter would. I was there and witnessed the entire encounter. The only thing I would agree with is that he has a right to take the photos. However, his interaction with the Deputy was not what he claims. He didn't announce he was a reporter for the stranger until his interactions with Officer Marion. He was asking questions about what was going on to Deputy S. when he was told by Deputy S. that it wasn't his busy, so he proceeded to be confrontational with the Deputy to a point where he was asked to step back. The others who were there, along with myself, we're not asked to leave or step back because we didn't interfere with police business. One thing I noticed about citizens is that they (we) believe that we have a right to know police business as its happening. When citizens interfere they take police away from doing there job safely. Now, that Officer has to answer questions of nosy citizens and not focus on the job at hand. His attention is taken away from a potentially dangerous person. Do i believe the deputy could been been nicer, yes! But I also feel Mr. Holden was bent at getting a story. In my opinion, he sought out this attention. He then proceeded to ride into the street along side a SPD patrol car and begin to demand who was the chief. It sounds like he already knew this since he's friends with Pugel. Again, interjecting himself in a situation that had nothing to do with him. The female office tried to answer his question but he cut her off several times while attempting to answer. She seemed unsure what he wanted since he was yelling at her. Officer Marion intercepted a rude citizen yelling at an Officer for no reason. It wasn't until this exchange that Mr. Holden told them he was a reporter and was now going to write a story about the complaint process. So, it would seem that he got what he started. A STORY! From my vantage point, it didn't sound like Officer Marion was making threats to harass him, but rather rhetorically trying to get him to understand how it would feel if someone were to come to his workplace and do to him what he was doing to these officers. Mr. Holden turned this "story" around and made himself look like an innocent victim just minding his own business and taking photos. None of this would have taking place if he just took his photos and didn't interject himself in police business. Yes, police should be transparent, but not during an incident. They need to have their attention and focus at the task at hand. If citizens have questions, wait until its over or, as a reporter, have professional courtesy and give em' a break and wait. Mr. Holden wanted a story. I guess he got one.

@39: Ok2bdif: Dominic's employment was irrelevant in this situation. Everyone has the right to observe the actions of our police in public from a safe distance, and to photograph those actions.

You wrote, "He then proceeded to ride into the street along side a SPD patrol car and begin to demand who was the chief. It sounds like he already knew this since he's friends with Pugel. Again, interjecting himself in a situation that had nothing to do with him."

Dominic described the situation this way: "I was jotting down a few notes so I'd remember what happened when I saw three officers leaving the scene. I asked them who at the scene was the commanding officer. They explained that they were Seattle cops and they didn't know which county officer was in charge. Then Seattle police officer John Marion asked why I was asking."

"Commanding officer" is cop talk for something like shift manager. Dominic wasn't asking about something like "who is the chief of police" (which, as you noted, he already knew) but who was in charge of those particular officers at that particular time. It's a very common thing for a reporter to ask at the scene of police action.

@40..its obvious you feel he was justified by "his" description of the event. There are two sides to every story but having been there and you and others not, I doubt you'll agree with anything I say even if i was there and heard it all. He is most definitely wrong and inaccurat in "his" description. I have no claim to either side. Just was there...and heard. If there should be accountability than he should be accountable for lying. I wonder how many times he's lied in this paper and people believe everything they read as the truth.

And just fyi, commanding officer is not cop talk meaning shift manager. It derives from the military and means one person in charge of an entire company (army) or ship (navy). Which is in the hundreds. Please don't act like you know what Dominic meant when he said that because you don't. Unless you talked to him personnally and he told what he meant because he certainly didn't explain that when he was yelling at them. SIGNED: Veteran U.S. Navy 1988-2011.