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 Linda Thomas
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Linda is the morning news anchor and features reporter for KIRO Radio. This is her local news blog, with an emphasis on social media, technology, Northwest companies, education, parenting, and anything else that grabs her attention.

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BellevuePD.jpg
Up to six Bellevue Police Officers are subjects of internal investigations, including two officers were demoted this week after the department concluded they were 'intoxicated, intimating, out of line, and obnoxious at a September Seahawks game. (Photo from the Bellevue, WA police department's Facebook page)

'Horrified and appalled' by the Bellevue Police Department

December 7, 2012 @ 10:53 am (Updated: 6:50 pm - 12/7/12 )

Are there bigger problems with the Bellevue Police Department than the behavior of two drunk, obnoxious officers who were demoted following their actions at a September Seahawks game?

This report details what happened with two "very intoxicated" officers who were described, by their own department, as being "intimidating, out of line and obnoxious" before, during and after they were kicked out of the Sept. 16 game.

The Bellevue officers - 11-year patrol veteran Officer Andrew Hanke and 23-year Bellevue PD Corporal Dion Robertson - were not in uniform and did not have their weapons.

They were shooting off their alcohol-fueled mouths. Alcohol on game day included Coors Light beer, Bloody Marys, whiskey shots, rum and Coke, and Pink Panty Droppers. That drink, as described in a police investigation, was one-fifth vodka, eight beers, and pink lemonade in a two-gallon container. They had two batches of panty droppers.

The drink should have been called the F-bomb dropper. Their language was vulgar and offensive, first with a confrontation involving a Seattle police officer, then with everyone around them inside the stadium, and again as they were leaving the property after being ejected.

Hanke was demoted with a pay cut and suspended for 30 days. Robertson was demoted as a leader of the bomb squad and took a pay cut also.

More potentially damaging information comes from KING 5 investigative reporter Linda Byron. The State Patrol is investigating an allegation of misconduct involving six commanders ranging from lieutenant to deputy chief.

According to KING 5 sources, that incident involved relationships between two male commanders and a female captain that resulted in threats and a physical altercation.

What is going on in Bellevue? Police Chief Linda Pillo refuses to comment beyond a press release this week that detailed her officers' demotions following their drunken behavior at the Seahawks game.

Bellevue Mayor Conrad Lee refuses to comment beyond a press release issued earlier this week in support of its Bellevue Police Department.

Bellevue Criminal Attorney Robert Perez says of the city's police department, "I'm horrified, I'm appalled, and I'm embarrassed.

Perez is not involved in these cases with Bellevue cops.

"I'm also an Hispanic, a person of color, and when I hear about the racial comments they made about 'blacks think they're running the show' and that 'my wife will pay the ticket because she's white,' this obviously reveals a deeper problem," says Perez.

He is offended that the City of Bellevue is choosing to "hold these people up as competent police officers." And, he thinks there are more than just a few bad apples in police department, which has 178 officers.

"As a citizen of Bellevue, as an attorney who practices criminal defense in Bellevue, this does not appear to me to be an isolated incident," Perez says.

One other incident is detailed in the 580-page Bellevue Police Department's internal investigation of officers Hanke and Robertson at the September game at Century Link Field.

Although the officer's wives, who were with them at the Seahawks game, were cleared of any wrong doing. One of them has had another drinking incident since the game.

On Oct. 6, 2012 the woman appeared intoxicated after a wedding in Kirkland. She argued with a valet at the Woodmark Hotel, refused to put down an open container and mentioned she was associated with the Bellevue Police Department.

Another Bellevue officer "took the beer out of her hands" and drove her home. He reports he "put the bottle on the floorboards of the back seat and she was unconscious during the ride home.

That officer said in a memo the only other person he told about the drunk behavior was a Bellevue Police Guild representative.

By LINDA THOMAS

More from Linda Thomas

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Comments (28)


  • Add A Comment

  • mnpat wrote...
    Mr. Perez.....
    December 7, 2012 12:00 pm
    you may be correcton your assumption....but you are a defense attorney, an attorney is bad enough but a defense attorney is even worse....should we also say that because an attorney was arrested in Seattle for rape that we should investigate all attorneys because as a citizen, I think the problem with attorneys runs much deeper and the culture of attorneys is one we are all tired of dealing with?
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  • mnpat wrote...
    mispelled
    December 7, 2012 12:03 pm
    should read correct ON your assumption.
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  • Newton wrote...
    I think we are tired of police who think they are above the law.
    December 8, 2012 3:17 pm
    Shooting and killing unarmed citizens. Shooting and killing citizens pets. Stealing weapons out of the weapons room. Stealing drugs out of evidence rooms. Stealing funds from fallen offices for thier familys and children. Cops and other govermnet workers are in the news we the people thought we could trust. Because they think they are above the law.
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  • Levy Pants wrote...
    Wow
    December 7, 2012 12:04 pm
    Though I do not condone the actions of these police it sure seems that Linda has it in for this department for some reason. I always enjoyed your stories and thought that you were a integrity based reporter, but frankly you are coming off as callous and petty with this continued attack. Did they do something to make you mad other than just not say anything or take questions about the investigation? Is this your way of "sticking it to them" because they refuse to talk about the story? That is really the only thing I can figure is making you continue to attack them. Sometimes it is better to turn the other cheek and be a better person. "The drink should have been called the F-bomb dropper." Wow. C'mon Linda, if you are injecting your opinion so far into a journalistic unbiased story as that, You probably need to step back and take a breath.
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  • ten4goodbuddy wrote...
    attack?
    December 7, 2012 12:42 pm
    You need to pull your head out of whatever hole it is in. This isn't an attack, and if you think it is, then you are so thin skinned I worry for your ability to survive in society today. Keep it up, Linda! I for one want every single citizen in the state of Washington to know the truth about how these individuals are covering up unacceptable behavior. i cold care less how many articles it takes!
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  • GetReal4me wrote...
    Levy
    December 7, 2012 2:21 pm
    Levy, you need to pull up your pants and realize that these cops actually deserve the criticisms they get. They are supposed to hold themselves to a higher standard than the rest of us riffrafs. They are supposed to protect and defend and be our role models and people our children should be able to look up to and admire. Big deal about the comment Linda put in -- maybe she shouldn't have done it, but big deal -- small potatoes compared to what these officers did. And I think when anyone that has a job in public service, that is any employee or a department getting paid by the tax payers, should always be held to a higher standard and should know that they are going to be judged harsher than the rest of us. That's just part of the job.
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  • Derrol_o wrote...
    Levy
    December 7, 2012 2:47 pm
    You're more bothered by Linda's article than by the actions of these cops? Gotta get your priorities straight I think.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • davepioli wrote...
    I would have been fired..,
    December 7, 2012 12:46 pm
    This shows poor judgement on the part of the officers. Companies I have worked for would fired me for this type of drunken behavior. Police do need to be held to a high standard , these police significantly reduce our respect for bellevue's cops. You go girl (Linda)
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  • CH wrote...
    Not to worry SPD no one can out do you . . . .
    December 7, 2012 12:47 pm
    only town in the State to have a Superhero to protect its citizens.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Paul Kersey wrote...
    Perez is one smart hijo de la.....cheeeengada.
    December 7, 2012 1:59 pm
    He claims to be a colored Hispanic rather than an evil white Hispanic. I say well played Roberto.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • TwoTrees wrote...
    'Another Bellevue officer "took the beer out of her hands" and drover her home.'
    December 7, 2012 2:11 pm
    'Drover'? Spell check on aisle six!!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • murr wrote...
    Ya ??? having it in for this department
    December 7, 2012 2:22 pm
    Thats called(honesty) , go ahead, call honesty hate speach, If their is one thing in this article that is not true, then go after her, call her out. Go ahead be a poooooor victim. Fastest way to be a leftist. Become a victim some how some way be a victim. Cant even pull your own pants up, or even be accountable for your own actions. Respect is what I give them as I see them in public, It must be earned. Here is a great example, just one of many.
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  • Harlyluv wrote...
    Share some!!
    December 7, 2012 5:11 pm
    Man...I'm reading the responses from this report and its rather evident either you are either involved wit the people who did these horrible thins....or your not sharing the smoke they opened up near the Seattle Space Needle.... man....i don't want to hear from the friens of what the article is about....for that just proves their guilt more! I think jail time....like the rest of us... :))
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  • Levy Pants wrote...
    Pants?
    December 7, 2012 5:35 pm
    I don't know what people are talking about pulling my pants up. I said that I don't condone the actions in my first sentence. I don't know these people. Not one of them. Not saying what they did was right. Infact it was downright offensive. I am just saying that ever since the Bellevue PD punished and decided to tell the press no further comment, the press, especially KIRO seem to be more aggressive and trying to bring up everything they can. Just seemed vindictive to me that's all. And if you don't know what Levy Pants is a reference to, then maybe all of you folks who can't spell are a REAL Confederacy of Dunces.
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  • GetReal4me wrote...
    Ohhhh...Levy...Levy...Levy
    December 7, 2012 9:33 pm
    After reading who Levy Pants is -- I only have more questions than answers....I wonder if you ever wrote a critique for this author. My guess would be probably not...most people like to criticize people that are living not dead. Perhaps there's more satisfaction that way -- as the dead can't react to it like the living can. I would still try to keep your pants above the dunce level -- that is the height that a dunce would wear them. Sorry...just trying to funny -- I really don't think you're that bad. I have criticized Linda before myself for her biased reporting on another subject.
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  • dori monson fan wrote...
    man if i was a black person in bellevue
    December 7, 2012 6:53 pm
    i'd seriously consider moving. sounds like bpd does not like black people. if they did they would have fired the officer who made racial remarks at the hawks game.
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