The December 6 Black Lives Matter protest: An arrest that day could put a protester—and one cop’s history—on trial.

The December 6 Black Lives Matter protest: An arrest that day could put a protester—and one cop’s history—on trial. alex garland

On the afternoon of December 6, in the middle of a Black Lives Matter march through downtown Seattle, a young man named John Raymond Loranger was tackled and arrested for allegedly kicking an officer in her shins. But if his case goes forward, he might not be the only one on trial.

The sole witness and arresting officer, Robert Mahoney, has left a long and problematic paper trail during his 16 years with the Seattle Police Department. During an investigation into allegations that he “forcibly” tongue-kissed a high-school senior who was part of the SPD’s Explorer program—an investigation that nearly got Mahoney fired—the city attorney’s office described Mahoney as “vindictive,” “predatory,” and “aggressive”…

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Brend an Kiley has worked as a child actor in New Orleans, as a member of the junior press corps at the 1988 Republican National Convention, and, for one happy April, as a bootlegger’s assistant in Nicaragua....