SEATTLE (AP) — The Washington State Patrol has agreed to handle a criminal investigation into a Seattle police officer’s videotaped kicking of a 17-year-old boy during an Oct. 18 arrest at a convenience store.
The State Patrol says the Seattle Police Department requested the state agency’s assistance.
The undercover officer involved has been placed on administrative assignment at home.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington and other groups have asked the federal Justice Department for a broad civil-rights investigation of Seattle police. The Oct. 18 arrest was one of several incidents cited. Video from the downtown Seattle convenience store shows an undercover officer kicking a 17-year-old African-American boy several times during the arrest. The officer was responding to a report of an assault on other officers in the area.
The Seattle Times says the teen has been charged with first-degree attempted robbery.
___
Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com
