0 Seattle Sues Attorney That Is Suing To Get Police Dashcam Videos

This is going to be one to watch, directly linked to the following:

Justice Department Releases Investigative Findings on the Seattle Police Department

Based on a randomized, stratified and statistically valid sample of SPD’s use of force reports from Jan. 1, 2009, to April 4, 2011, factual findings include:

• When SPD officers use force, they do so in an unconstitutional manner nearly 20 percent of the time;
  
  
• SPD officers too quickly resort to the use of impact weapons, such as batons and flashlights.   When SPD officers use batons, 57 percent of the time it is either unnecessary or excessive;
  
  
• SPD officers escalate situations, and use unnecessary or excessive force, when arresting individuals for minor offenses.   
  This trend is pronounced in encounters with persons with mental illnesses or those under the influence of alcohol or drugs.   This is problematic because SPD estimates that 70 percent of use of force encounters involve these populations.