SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Times reports that the city of Seattle’s response to the U.S. Justice Department’s proposal to fix its police department focuses on curtailing excessive force, but does not address federal concerns about biased policing.
The Justice Department launched a civil rights investigation early last year, following the fatal shooting of a homeless, Native American woodcarver and other incidents of force used against minority suspects. A DOJ report found that one out of every five times an officer used force, it was used unconstitutionally. The report said the department failed to adequately review the use of force and lacked proper policies and training.
Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn presented his response to the federal government this week. Citing sources familiar with the document, The Times reported that because no pattern of biased policing was found, McGinn opted not to address the issue in the city’s response.
