Seattle Police show controversial video of alleged police brutality

BY Brandi Kruse  on November 27, 2012 @ 12:51 pm (Updated: 6:17 pm - 11/27/12 )

During a press conference at Seattle Police Headquarters Tuesday, the department screened a highly-publicized video that has been called one of the worst cases of police misconduct ever caught on tape.

The video depicts an Oct. 6 incident in the Central District where SPD officers were investigating the hit and run of a female bicyclist at 29th Avenue and East Jefferson Streets. A suspect, Leo Etherly, was stopped by officers in the 2300 block of East Union Street.

Patrol car video from the stop shows Etherly approached by officers, who spoke to him briefly before attempting to place him under arrest. According to SPD, Etherly was seen driving a van with a license plate that matched the vehicle believed to have struck the bicyclist.

"They had the license plate. They knew the car they were looking for. They saw [Etherly] walk away from the car," said Sgt. Sean Whitcomb, who took reporters through the video frame-by-frame.

Within seconds of officers attempting to place Etherly in handcuffs, an altercation ensues. One of the officers pushes his hand against Etherly's throat as two others pin him to the hood of the patrol car.

"Quit choking me sir," Etherly said.

"I'm not choking you," said the officer. "I'm getting your head away from me."

At that point, Etherly appears to spit in the direction of one of the officers. The officer who had him by the throat then punches Etherly in the left eye.

"We wanted to give the public an opportunity to see the video," Sgt. Whitcomb said.

An attorney for Mr. Etherly, James Egan, showed up at the press conference Tuesday after being notified by a member of the media.

Egan, who had a copy of the video prior to Tuesday, held a press conference Monday to demand that SPD allow him to release it publicly. He received a copy of the video through discovery while representing Etherly and such records are often confidential.

"This is a circumstance where the police have an awful public record and I want it and I want to give it to you," Egan said.

After his remarks Monday, SPD implied on their blotter that Egan was not being patient and that they planned to give him a copy of the video that could be made public.

"The SPD Public Disclosure Unit handles on average 4,000 requests for records per year ... Since 2008, Mr. Egan alone has made 316 requests of the Seattle Police Department. He has 10 requests that are currently pending.

His current request, like all others, will be handled in the order in which it was received."

KIRO Radio and other media outlets have filed public disclosure requests for the video, which have not been fulfilled.

Whitcomb said Tuesday that the video is part of an open and active investigation. He said SPD has asked the City Attorney's Office to reconsider charges of hit and run and assault on an officer.

When asked if detectives believe Etherly is responsible for the hit and run, Sgt. Whitcomb said "absolutely."

"We believe he is responsible for two crimes, and we believe that is going to be looked at fairly by the City Attorney's Office," he said.

In the meantime, the Office of Professional Accountability is investigating the force used during the arrest after it was referred to them by the command staff.

Egan was granted another copy of the video during the press conference Tuesday. He posted it on YouTube a short time later.

Brandi Kruse, KIRO Radio Reporter
Brandi Kruse is a reporter for KIRO Radio who is as spontaneous and adventurous in her free time as she is on the job. Brandi arrived at KIRO Radio in March 2011 and has already collected three regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her reporting.
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Comments (94)


  • Add A Comment

  • snow_board_rider wrote...
    We know the truth
    November 27, 2012 2:28 pm
    Most people know this guy is guilty. It's illegal to be a black male in Seattle. They beat him to teach him a lesson about being on the street in the middle of the afternoon. Why didn't the other officers react to the one officer getting assaulted? Because it didn't happen, the Asian officer looked surprised when the white cop attacked the guy. The SPD needs to be disbanded and have the county take over. What a joke
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • MaryJaneLeBeau wrote...
    Beating?
    November 27, 2012 3:58 pm
    What the h@ll were you watching. Rodney King took a beating. This man resisted arrest for a hit and run and then assaulted a police office for trying to put cuffs on him. It's not the police who are in the wrong! Watch again if you think he was beaten and let us all know what frames that appears in because we all must be too stupid to see the BEATING!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • *logos* wrote...
    The reactions of the other cops
    November 27, 2012 5:16 pm
    is very telling... Even the assaulting cop was trying to be extra nice after because he knew he just saw his job flash before his eyes. Classic a-hole behavior.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ToldYa wrote...
    clearly excessive
    November 27, 2012 2:29 pm
    no doubt - look at the officer's disposition compared to the other two... he's agitated and clearly excessive in his use of force. He has an attitude problem... look at the calm demeanor that the other two officers display. This cop needs to lose his job and pension.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • *logos* wrote...
    Absolutely
    November 27, 2012 5:17 pm
    He was irascible. The other officers could have handled this just fine, but this guy wanted an excuse. He got personal with it, and I'm sorry but you just can't do that as a police officer.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Psychostick wrote...
    Typical Litigious Money Hungry Attorney
    November 27, 2012 2:36 pm
    "...one of the worst cases of police misconduct ever caught on tape." Over exaggerate much? Guess this tool has never seen the Rodney King Video. Now that was REAL Police brutality. This Leo Etherly guy is clearly a disrespectful scumbag with a serious attitude problem. He is suspected of running over a bicyclist and fleeing the scene. Hello? Unless you have put on that uniform and gone out there and dealt with guys like this you have no clue. Mr. Etherly does not appear to be a small guy by any means. You do not wait for this guy to get the upper hand before you take action. You don't even give him a chance to get a swing in. What these officers did may have saved his life. You deal with an aggressive and potentially violent suspect in this way to keep it from escalating to the point where tasers, batons, and guns are required. I think these officers were right on the money in this case. And the assertion that because there were 3+ officers there they did not need to use force to handcuff the guy is absurd. Ever see a guy hopped up on drugs. They can have super human strength and can throw off 3 or 4 guys without much trouble. All Mr. Etherly had to do was cooperate and none of this would have happened. This is all on him.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • USMC0311 wrote...
    Unless you have put on that uniform....
    November 27, 2012 2:47 pm
    Blah, blah, blah. If you cant hack it, don't sign up for the job. The other cops remained calm. As a matter of fact there are 18 year olds patrolling Afghanistan with more discipline than these dumb a55 cops.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Whidbeyboy wrote...
    Yea, let's make him the victim, good call
    November 27, 2012 3:51 pm
    He hit and run someone on a bike then tried to worm out of it and you guys think we should feel sorry for this guy? Next time someone runs over your child and instead of helping like any decent human being, leaves like a coward, let's give him a party. And if he resist we should give him a warm blanket and coco. God forbid, he get's hit for being such a wonderful person, heck let's give him an award.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Whidbeyboy wrote...
    And
    November 27, 2012 3:52 pm
    I have seen worse hits in high school football games. And if you think the helmet takes all the impact, you've never played football.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • MaryJaneLeBeau wrote...
    Oh you mislead marine
    November 27, 2012 4:01 pm
    When you resist arrest, force WILL be used! DUH!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SeattleNative wrote...
    A cop asks for you to identify yourself...
    November 27, 2012 2:37 pm
    ...you identify yourself. Period. Or expect to get "the treatment".
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • snow_board_rider wrote...
    Really
    November 27, 2012 3:26 pm
    We as citizens are protected by the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. If you are walking down the street you still have rights. SPD has already been found guilty of vein to aggressive and are under a supervisory panel due to excessive force. SPD is corrupt. Fire this officer and retrain the others so that they protect citizens and turn in the excessive force officer.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • seattleJohn wrote...
    If that was your...
    November 27, 2012 5:22 pm
    Bia.... tch he hit and then ran from you wouldn't think it was excessive. He was driving a van with plates that matched vehicle that hit the woman... Prime suspect deserving of arrest and him resisting shows his guilt. He's NOT the victim here.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • imanegro wrote...
    The police are also protected
    November 28, 2012 11:21 am
    Unfortunately that has nothing to do with this case. As a resident of this country, you are obligated to comply with lawful commands given by LE. LE was investigating a crime (which we pay them to do) and in the course of that investigation, they made lawful contact with this AJ McD0uche-type person. He was obligated to comply- that's the balance we strike between civilized society and chaos.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ToldYa wrote...
    Or expect to get "the treatment"
    November 27, 2012 7:06 pm
    That sounds hauntingly like some excerpt from a nazi war film.... amerika 2012?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Pseaxe wrote...
    not impressed
    November 27, 2012 2:46 pm
    The officer that punched the suspect looked like he was fringing upon rage. He was definitely wound up. Not what I would like to see representing our police force. Self control was not evident in this case. He needs anger management at a minimum!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hpygolkyone wrote...
    A Couple Of Observations...........
    November 27, 2012 2:53 pm
    1. He looked really (and I mean really) surprised that the police wanted him to step over to the vehicle.

    2. His buddies that he was standing next to, certainly did bail REALLY QUICKLY when it became apparent the police weren't stopping to get donuts.

    3. That cop did start out clearly agitated......but it was nice of him to ask if he could still breath (after they had him cuffed).

    4. Spitting in someones face is never a good idea. Spitting in an officers face is a really BAD idea.

    Prediction: will be settled out of court for a large sum of cash. Dude won the lottery for getting his face busted.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Realitycheck wrote...
    Total joke
    November 27, 2012 2:56 pm
    Resist arrest and I expect police officers to react this way, Case closed. Absolutely nothing wrong here unless you are a criminal with an ax to grind. Or a lawyer looking for an unjustified payday.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SeattleNative wrote...
    Not impressed...
    November 27, 2012 3:00 pm
    ...with one poster using multiple screen names to post fake outrage at a justifiable police action.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • circuitfr wrote...
    love
    November 27, 2012 3:03 pm
    how the heading of the video says "strangled and punched" No mention of him not complying with officers, acting super agitated and egging the officers on, then spitting on an officer while resisting arrest when they were simply asking him for his name to see if he was party to a HIT and RUN.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • dori monson fan wrote...
    so thug got a black eye
    November 27, 2012 3:36 pm
    how does that compare to the damage the woman he ran over received? and what kind of man runs over a woman and then just leaves her to possibly die? how about giving her the common courtesy that the cop gave you here and check to see if her breathing is ok?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • MaryJaneLeBeau wrote...
    Resisting Arrest?
    November 27, 2012 3:48 pm
    This guy was ready to fight with the police. He immediately started yelling to the other 2 men there and they took off, coming back later to be told to call his wife, at the same time he's yelling that he can't breath. If you can't breath, you can't yell! What a whiny baby. Big man hit a woman on a bike with his van and left the scene but can't take it when police try to handcuff him. And his lawyer trying to show 8 seconds of this video as though it's the whole story. We, in the Puget Sound area, are just not that gullible!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }