MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Seattle council member Sawant urging police to investigate several attacks involving human feces

Oct 19, 2022, 6:04 PM

kshama sawant...

(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)

(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)

In a letter directed to Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz and the Seattle City Council’s, council member Kshama Sawant expressed disfavor with the Seattle Police Department for “failing to investigate a series of disturbing incidents at my home.”

According to Sawant, bags of human excrement had been thrown in her yard six times. The latest incident occurred on Thursday, Oct. 13.

Sawant said the attacks are “politically motivated, given their targeted nature and repetition.”

Follow this link to read additional stories from KIRO

According to Sawant, Seattle police told her the waste could not be sent to a lab for further investigation, which, she added, “seems quite odd considering that hospital labs do tests on human fecal matter all the time.”

“Most concerning is the very high likelihood that this extreme and hostile behavior is politically motivated,” Sawant said. “And could turn into more serious and dangerous harassment.”

She said an investigation was opened on Oct. 13 but was told the case was no longer being pursued as active, even after reporting the fourth attack on Oct. 8.

According to Sawant, Seattle police told her husband, “What do you expect us to do?”

Sawant said the attacks coincide with a “potentially-threatening” email sent to her office, which include the lines “the queen of s***” and “you can sit on your throne of human excrement.”

She said investigators failed to ask her neighbors for security camera footage of the attacks, which she claims to have acquired.

Sawant said she is also “deeply concerned” about the details of these attacks being “apparently leaked” to the “right-wing media” by Seattle police.

She said the leak that led to “right-wing articles” only served to encourage further attacks, including social media posts praising the actions of the attacker and calling for more attacks.

Sawant said she will be filing a complaint with the Office of Police Accountability.

She then referenced the threats she received by email from a Seattle Fire Department employee in 2021, saying “the details of that case were also soon leaked.”

Sawant concludes, “I believe that working people should feel safe in their communities and their homes. It is deeply unfortunate that the experience of so many working people and communities of color is severely biased policing, lack of support when needed or far worse.”

A spokesperson for Mayor Bruce Harrell said, “These incidents go against our core values as a city. Elected officials should not be harassed at their homes. While Mayor Harrell does not direct individual investigations, we have been assured that SPD will follow all standard protocols and practices regarding these incidents in the appropriate manner. The mayor has spoken directly to Councilmember Sawant to discuss and understand her concerns.”

KIRO 7 has reached out to the Seattle PD for comment.

Follow this link to read additional stories from KIRO 

MyNorthwest News

light rail stabbing pioneer square...

Frank Lenzi

Stabbing victim boards Sound Transit light rail train in Seattle’s Pioneer Square

A person was stabbed in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood late Sunday afternoon and then boarded a northbound Sound Transit light rail train before first responders could intervene, the agency said.

10 hours ago

Andre Sayles (2) bite of seattle shooting suspect...

Tom Brock

Texts on hold: SPD delays Bite of Seattle shooting records

Interim Seattle Police Chief Andre Sayles says he needs more time before he can release the police department's internal communications the night of the deadly "Bite of Seattle" shootings.

15 hours ago

A Coast Guard rescue helicopter lifts an injured hiker to safety from Oregon's Three Sisters Wilder...

Tom Brock

Hoist in the high Cascades: Coast Guard lifts injured hiker from treacherous Oregon mountaintop

A Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued an injured hiker from treacherous conditions in the mountains of central Oregon last week.

17 hours ago

Two alleged wire thieves caught in the act on Highway 12 near Aberdeen. Authorities estimate they d...

Tom Brock

Grounded: Grays Harbor deputies cut short highway wire heist

Deputies in Grays Harbor arrested two men Saturday for trying to steal hundreds of feet of wire along Highway 12.

18 hours ago

Mount Rainier...

425

Why interest in this Mount Rainier-sighting app is surging

A community-driven app that tracks Mount Rainier’s visibility is gaining attention.

23 hours ago

Katie Wilson (8)...

Luke Duecy

The Spin: How Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s team communicates after gun violence

Four deadly shootings in a little more than a month, including the Bite of Seattle shooting and three fatal shootings in Belltown, provide a backdrop for examining how Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s communications team handles difficult news. In this edition of “The Spin,” KIRO Newsradio reporter Luke Duecy looks at two recent examples and the […]

2 days ago

Seattle council member Sawant urging police to investigate several attacks involving human feces