Seattle Police Department Fires Officer Cynthia Whitlatch

[countryjake]

http://www.thestranger.com/blogs/slog/2015/09/15/22862489/the-seattle-police-department-fires-officer-cynthia-whitlatch

by Ansel Herz ~ Sep 15, 2015

Chief Kathleen O'Toole announced her decision in a post on the SPD's website today. Officer Cynthia Whitlatch was an eighteen-year veteran of the department and a field training officer. Last year, she arrested then-69-year-old William Wingate, an African-American military veteran, as he walked down the street carrying a golf club that he used as cane. In January, The Stranger obtained video of the incident and first reported on racist remarks Whitlatch made on Facebook, sparking an outcry.

In a statement, O'Toole wrote that Officer Whitlatch continued insisting during a recent appeal hearing that she had done nothing wrong.

Even during your Loudermill hearing, you continued to blame minorities for your perceived mistreatment on account of your race (white). Your perceptions of race and other protected categories appear to be so deeply seated that they likely impacted the authoritarian manner in which you treated this man and your refusal to deviate from that approach towards an individual whose actions did not warrant such treatment...

I was disappointed by your failure during your Loudermill hearing to take any responsibility, or show any understanding that your conduct at issue here was inappropriate. In particular, when I asked you what if anything you would do differently in retrospect, you stated that you would do nothing differently.

The investigation into Whitlatch has raised questions about the conduct of other officers within the department, including her supervising captain and fellow officers who assisted her in the arrest of Wingate. The Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) has vowed to challenge her firing.



...read more here for updates

[Suich]

1. Good!

Hope the Guild is unsuccessful in their challenge!

[countryjake]

13. The SPOG has changed their tack, pulling contract-violations out of their hats.

Seattle Police Union Says Contract Violation Prevents SPD from Firing Officer Cynthia Whitlatch
by Ansel Herz ~ Sept 3, 2015

https://www.thestranger.com/blogs/slog/2015/09/03/22808730/seattle-police-union-says-contract-violation-prevents-spd-from-firing-officer-cynthia-whitlatch

The Seattle police union that represents rank and file officers really, really doesn't want to allow the SPD to fire Officer Cynthia Whitlatch, who faces termination over her controversial arrest of an elderly black veteran last year.

In a recent statement, SPOG claims the department's misconduct review arm, the Office of Professional Accountability (OPA), failed to abide by a 180-day deadline to complete an investigation into the Whitlatch incident. The deadline is written into the union's collective bargaining agreement with the city. Therefore, SPOG claims, "NO DISCIPLINE may result from this investigation."

~snip~

SPOG president Ron Smith has previously focused his ire on the results of the investigation itself, not arcane contract violations. He's likened the OPA's investigation, which accused Whitlatch of being biased in her policing, to the "thought police." But now SPOG is accusing the OPA of violating procedural rules. Section 3.6.B of the guild's 80-page contract with the city states that no discipline can be imposed on an officer if the OPA doesn't complete its investigation within 180 days (six months). The clock starts ticking when there is "receipt of the complaint by the OPA or by a Department sworn supervisor." In the OPA's view, that happened when complaints began flooding into the unit after The Stranger reported on Wingate's arrest in January. The OPA finished its investigation in July, purportedly meeting the deadline.

With the SPD currently being watched by the Feds, since the racist murder of John T. Williams, I doubt that their "Guild" protests can hold much clout, but we'll just have to wait and see. That Smith guy is a real piece of work. Did you see this...

The President of the Seattle Police Union Believes the Obama Administration Has Created a "War on Cops"
by Ansel Herz ~ Aug 21, 2015

https://www.thestranger.com/blogs/slog/2015/08/21/22736380/the-president-of-the-seattle-police-union-believes-the-obama-administration-has-created-a-war-on-cops

This is some pathetic news right here. Ron Smith, the veteran Seattle cop who represents about 1,200 Seattle police officers as the head of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, believes the federal government is waging a "war on cops."

On Sunday afternoon, someone from SPOG posted a link on its Facebook page to a video of commentary by Fox News contributor Kimberly Guilfoyle, who says, "The White House and this administration have created a war against police officers in this country with their allegations [and] false assertions that there is widespread and pervasive racism in the United States of America that lives in the heart and minds of the men and women in blue." SPOG added the caption, "Truth." It garnered 50 "likes."

Smith has since confirmed that he was the one who posted the link and wrote the caption. After I asked Mayor Ed Murray about the post, Smith (or someone) deleted it today. Murray said he strongly disagrees with Smith and said it "isn't a good sign" for reform efforts.

[delrem]

2. They should be sued within an inch of their lives.

That video showed sickening behavior.

When they don't come down on that kind of behavior with a hammer, they ought to be punished for it.
Only that is justice.

[artislife]

3. SPD needs cleaning up

Thankfully, this was caught on tape. We like to think we are nice here, but there are a lot of killings and harassing PoCs here.


And it must STOP!

[fingrin]

4. What a POS

Facebook user Cynthia Whitlatch accuses Davis of being a "black racist" and writes,

"If you believe that blacks are NOT accusing white America for their problems then you are missing the point of the riots in Ferguson and the chronic black racism that far exceeds any white racism in this country. I am tired of black peoples paranoia that white people are out to get them. I am tired of hearing a black racist tell me the only reason they are being contacted is because they are black solely because I am NOT black."

[Skittles]

6. that last sentence

what does it even mean?

[Skittles]

5. I have to say

when someone says they would do nothing differently, KNOWING how upsetting the incident was, it tells me they did not learn a thing - that is a lost cause

[Enthusiast]

7. Kicked and recommended!

I'm glad to hear this.

[tomm2thumbs]

8. that officer has a problem

and glad to see someone finally took that problem out of the way of everyone else in this country who might have the misfortune of meeting up with her in the comings and goings of their daily lives.

____

Also from another source:

Corinne Purucker who is the former lesbian lover of Whitlatch has come out and confirmed that the officer is a white supremacist.

According to thestranger.com Purucker said she was in a relationship with Whitlatch for more than two years. During their relationship, Purucker said, Whitlatch made racist comments about black people she’d encountered while on patrol in Seattle and, in the spring of 2005, stole marijuana from SPD evidence that the couple then smoked together.

“She’s a racist,” Purucker said.

Link:
http://melanoidnation.org/former-lesbian-lover-of-cop-who-arrested-innocent-black-man-says-shes-racist/

[countryjake]

14. Thanks for the link to that piece! n/t

[eridani]

9. Finally--Seattle is catching up with King County Sherriff's office

Urqhuart has been holding officers accountable since he took office.

[LeftOfWest]

10. hope it sticks

the seattle police 'guild' is still ugly powerful.

would not be surprised to see her back on the force/or another force in a few years.

[BumRushDaShow]

11. This excerpt

"...you continued to blame minorities for your perceived mistreatment on account of your race (white). Your perceptions of race and other protected categories appear to be so deeply seated that they likely impacted the authoritarian manner in which you treated this man and your refusal to deviate from that approach towards an individual whose actions did not warrant such treatment... "

so clearly and concisely describes the problem with racism (whether conscious or unconscious) in the U.S. today - not just regarding this particular officer, but anyone with the ability or power to hire, fire, provide service to, or even interact with others, where a different "standard of operation" is applied and deployed for POC versus for the majority group.

[countryjake]

15. Exactly! n/t

[Aristus]

12. Good. Leave that shit in Missouri, lady.

Don't let it hit ya...