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The video of a Seattle Police officer appearing to stomp on a robbery suspect and yelling a racial slur led to the Department of Justice investigation of the department, but the city now says the suspect wasn't kicked and the language wasn't racially motivated.

'Mexican Piss' statement not racially motivated, city says

BY Chris Sullivan  on May 3, 2012 @ 4:59 am (Updated: 6:33 am - 5/3/12 )

The video of a Seattle Police officer appearing to stomp on a robbery suspect and yelling a racial slur led to the Department of Justice investigation of the department, but the city now says the suspect wasn't kicked and the language wasn't racially motivated.

The city says Officer Shandy Cobane was using a verbal deescalation technique and not racial discrimination when he told a robbery suspect that he was going to "beat the Mexican piss" out of him.

In its response to a federal lawsuit brought by the man Officer Cobane was detaining, the city says the language was unprofessional but not meant to offend. It was used to control an unruly suspect.

The Seattle Times reports a frame by frame analysis of the video shows Officer Cobane didn't kick the suspect either. He was trying to step on his hand.

The suspect, Martin Monetti Jr., is claiming civil rights violations and discrimination.

The city of Seattle is asking a federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit stemming from the incident. The motion was filed Tuesday.

City attorneys also say that even though Monetti was not arrested that night, they think he was complicit in two robberies.

Monetti's attorney, Lorena Gonzalez, says she's confident her lawsuit will not be dismissed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Chris Sullivan, KIRO Radio Reporter
Chris loves the rush of covering breaking news and works hard to try to make sense of it all while telling stories about real people in extraordinary circumstances.
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Comments (25)


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  • ron prevost wrote...
    Makes sense - Mexico is a diverse country
    May 3, 2012 6:04 am
    So, I guess 'Mexican piss' is no more racial than 'Canadian piss' - - - MY MISTAKE. I thought all those laws against discrimination dealt with race, religion and NATIONAL ORIGIN. ...... So, if Monetti was an American citizen, he couldn't be 'Mexican' piss ??? ............... Great work, Officer Cobane. You have proven once again that the bad apples can taint the rest of a good police force.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Vlastimil wrote...
    in the future
    May 3, 2012 6:33 am
    Hopefully, SPD will use the more socially acceptable term for "Mexican pi**", corona.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Integrator wrote...
    of course it wasn't
    May 3, 2012 6:57 am
    and to prove it, next time a white cop pulls you over say "what do you want, stupid crack*r?" and see how much it deescalates the situation.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • annmw wrote...
    Really?
    May 3, 2012 6:58 am
    That may be the most lame reasoning I have ever heard.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • gb1118 wrote...
    Since when...
    May 3, 2012 7:43 am
    Did "Mexican" become a race? Last time I checked , Mexicans are part of a race, not a race unto themselves. That wouldn't make a very good story or headline though. Why let the facts get in the way of a good inflamatory headline and story?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hnuh wrote...
    well.... Vlastimil....
    May 3, 2012 8:18 am
    I thought the term was "Sol"... or "Modelo"... but I guess it just depends on a person's taste.....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Mo Gaud wrote...
    Alright, then
    May 3, 2012 8:28 am
    using that logic, shouldn't it be Latino piss?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Ron_Spins wrote...
    If the city..(lawyers) are saying
    May 3, 2012 8:34 am
    "Mexican piss" is not racially motivated then that is code for it is racially motivated.That is how damage control works...and if you keep repeating it the lie becomes "more true".
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    What about
    May 3, 2012 8:45 am
    Muslim piss? would that be acceptable as well?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • circuitfr wrote...
    of course it is
    May 3, 2012 9:12 am
    deal with Latino gang bangers and see how they talk to you. It's how the world works people. Politically Correct isn't going to get your anywhere. "ahh, excuse me mr. gang banger, can you pretty please not hurt me and answer some questions? I'm so scared of you right now, but I don't want to infringe on your rights. Pa..paa..paa.please don't shoot me." Idiots. Work a night on the streets of a major city and then come back and tell me what you think it's like. Or continue to sit back in your own little world and pretend evil doesn't lurk outside in at night. There are bad people that would piss on you just for looking at them and they wouldn't care. Life is life. Life isn't fair, Life is full of evil. Survival of the fittest is very accurate. There is a reason the pansy a** people didn't live back in the day. All those people who would've died back then are todays liberals who live in a fake utopia.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Well Put!
    May 3, 2012 9:29 am
    The LIberal PC crowd live in fantasy land. The wussification of America is a pathetic joke. It's one thing to treat people with respect, it's quite another to be tolerant of people who will hurt or kill you.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • deltta wrote...
    "Shandy Cobane was using a verbal deescalation technique"
    May 3, 2012 9:40 am
    Really? Todays humor has been provided by the SPD and the mayor of Seattle.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sportsguru wrote...
    Oh boy
    May 3, 2012 10:27 am
    And the police wonder why they don't get any respect.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }