SEATTLE (AP) — A 15-year-old girl beaten in the downtown Seattle bus tunnel while three security guards took no action says she tried to get help from the guards and earlier from Seattle police but was rebuffed.
Aiesha Steward-Baker told a news conference Friday that she asked Seattle police for help several times in the hour before the Jan. 28 attack while she was in Westlake Center and Macy’s.
Video of the attack has brought outrage and a re-examination of security in the tunnel. The victim was punched, stomped and kicked by another teen girl but not seriously injured.
Seattle police have said they did everything they could to separate the girl from another group, but did not witness unlawful behavior before the attack. Sgt. Sean Whitcomb earlier characterized the situation between the girl and the other group of young people as “a roving, verbal dispute.”
Late Friday, the Seattle Police Department announced it was conducting an internal review of the officers’ actions to determine whether enough was done.
