- Ansel Herz
- The lawsuit, by officers mostly from the North Precinct, alleged that new use of force rules required them to "under-react to threats of harm."
Back in May, following US Department of Justice findings that the Seattle Police Department had engaged in an unconstitutional pattern of using excessive force, 126 Seattle police officers filed a lawsuit in federal court to try to overturn federally-mandated reforms to SPD's use of force rules. The officers alleged the new policies violated their constitutional rights. (Ugh.)
On Friday, reports the Seattle Times, US District Judge Marsha Pechman agreed with attorneys for the City of Seattle and dismissed the lawsuit (having heard oral arguments on October 9).
Will this put down what we previously described as an "internal revolt"? We'll see.
UPDATE: Judge Pechman dismissed the suit with prejudice, which means the officers cannot appeal file the same suit again. "The Seattle Police Department is entirely committed to Constitutional policing and is moving full speed ahead with implementation of the Consent Decree," said SPD Chief Kathleen O'Toole in a statement released by City Attorney Pete Holmes.
"Today we move forward with police reform and move past internal divisions over policy," added Mayor Ed Murray. "The City and the officers who filed the suit share the same objectives: safety for the public, and safe working conditions for the officers who provide for the publicâs safety. We can achieve both."
