On Wednesday night, a Seattle police officer was captured on video walking his bike over the head of a person lying on the ground during a protest on Capitol Hill.
After the Seattle Police Department’s Force Investigation Team identified “potential violations of SPD policy, as well as potential criminal conduct,” the Office of Police Accountability director Andrew Myerberg said in an email early Thursday. OPA (a citizen ran organization) called for a criminal investigation of the incident by an outside agency.
SPD said Thursday it referred the incident to the King County Sheriff’s Office.
Ryan Abbott, a Sheriff’s Office spokesman, said a detective has been assigned to investigate the officer. The officer has been placed on paid leave, but the department declined to identify the officer.
The incident was captured on video by several people and attracted national attention Thursday. During the same night another video of a person hitting a police officer in the head with a baseball bat, also drawing national coverage.
During the protest officers pushed back protesters along East Pine Street near Broadway shortly before midnight and the video from the scene showed the officer, who was walking his bike, roll the bike’s tires over the head of the person lying in the street.
The officer then went on to use the bike to push away another person who was approaching.
The man on the ground seemed to be lying down as a form of protest, said Chris Rojas, a journalist.
Chris works for Seattle Gay News and Converge Media who captured the incident.. The protester is well-known for playing the trumpet at demonstrations.
The Seattle PD didnt comment on whether the protester was injured by the officer, but the individual was not treated by the Seattle Fire Department or Harborview Medical Center.
In a separate situation the SPD said they were looking for a person who hit an officer in the head with a baseball bat.
Police said Wednesday the officer’s helmet was cracked. The officer was checked at the scene by SFD and had minor injuries to his head and neck, SPD spokesperson Sgt. Randy Huserik said.
Seattle police arrested 13 people Wednesday night and early Thursday. Nine misdemeanor cases were referred to the City Attorney’s Office.
No felony cases have been referred to the county prosecutor’s office, a spokesperson for that office said Thursday afternoon.
