The recent "cop punches woman" incident outside a Seattle-area high school has brought the spotlight onto police procedure. (Photo: Wikipedia)
Seattle police have had a difficult time in the media the past 12 months, and the latest “cop punches woman” incident doesn’t help matters. Back in November 2009, Deputy Paul Schene was videotaped beating then 15-year-old Malika Calhoun while she was in her jail cell. Schene’s actions prompted a civil rights investigation. Now Seattle Police Officer Ian P. Walsh, 39, has become the subject of a “cop punches woman” viral video. What began as a routine jaywalking stop outside Seattle’s Franklin High School quickly escalated into a situation that required that Walsh restrain 17-year-old Angel Rosenthal. Rosenthal put up significant resistance and Officer Walsh reacted. Yet as numerous media sources indicate, the justification of Walsh’s response – a punch to Rosenthal’s face – has come into question.
Cop punches woman, Seattle Police get the black eye
The jaywalking stop that preceded the “cop punches woman” incident didn’t involve Angel Rosenthal. Officer Ian Walsh had stopped an unnamed 18-year-old male for jaywalking across Martin Luther King Jr. Way South. Rosenthal and her friend, 19-year-old Marilyn Ellen Levias – as well as two other young women – reportedly committed their own act of jaywalking right in from of Officer Walsh while he was addressing the young male. Walsh instructed the females to step over to his vehicle, and at that time, according to police officials, the girls became “verbally antagonistic.”
Once Levias began to walk away, Walsh approached so he could physically escort her back to the scene. Once Levias attempted to escape and began screaming, Walsh attempted to restrain and handcuff her. At this point, Angel Rosenthal interceded, “causing the officer to believe she was attempting to physically affect the first subject’s escape,” reports the New York Daily News. Video footage from the scene shows that as Officer Walsh attempted to restrain Rosenthal, she screamed and pushed as tempers flared. In no time, the media had its “cop punches woman” headline. Both Levias and Rosenthal were taken into custody. They may need money now for bail and legal representation.
The teens had been ordered not to struggle
Officer Ian Walsh’s instructions to not struggle failed to defuse the emotional responses of Levias and Rosenthal, who reportedly both have criminal records. Deputy Chief Nick Metz told Seattle’s King 5 News that while there are “concerns about the tactics the officer used,” the full context leading up to the “cop punches woman” incident must be taken into account in any investigation of Walsh’s adherence to police procedure. Currently, Seattle Police are withholding judgment on Ian Walsh’s actions until a full investigation can be completed by the Office of Professional Accountability, reports the Sky Valley Chronicle. Unfortunately, as the ACLU Washington State branch website suggests, this supposedly independent investigatory committee “lacks teeth” (it’s headed by a civilian auditor, but still a branch of the Seattle Police Department) and has been largely a waste of expensive man hours for largely perfunctory investigations, according to the ACLU’s estimation.
Ian Walsh ‘did nothing wrong,’ says union president Rich O’Neill
Seattle Police union president Rich O’Neill told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that not only did Officer Ian Walsh not commit wrongdoing, but “he maybe waited a little too long to engage in force” in his attempts to defuse what video footage proves to be a growing dilemma. More news will become available after the police procedure investigation is complete.
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Calmed, not clamed. I'm not sure how one would clame a situation.
Here is the bottom line folks.. Do what the cops tell you, if ALL parties involved would have complied with the officers instructions, they more than likely would have walked with only a warning.. Laws (yes especially JAY-WALKING laws) are in place for your OWN safety. I am quite certain that due to her "protected class" she felt as if she was not obligated to comply with the officers directive… it is NOT ok to put your hands on ANYONE….she got what she deserved… personally I would have tased her untill she soiled her pants.
Wow… lol
Actually, the officer most likely abandoned his training at 11 seconds into the video. Notice that after he punched the girl attacking him to achieve physical seperation from her (the only feasible response other than tasering her, at this point), he should have drawn his sidearm or taser, kept both his attacker and the other girl at bay, clamed the situation down and called for backup so he could apprehend both women in a controlled manner. Instead, he re-established contact with his attacker–with both hands–while pivoting his body in such a way as to expose his sidearm (holstered on his right) to the other girl, who at this point was free to grab it. This could have ended pretty badly.
I agree that this officer needs more training for his own safety, but there is no evidence on this footage that indicates he used excessive force in this case. Of course, that doesn't mean he won't be thrown under the bus for political expediency–he probably will–but he didn't "snap". If anything, he was neither vigilant nor aggressive enough. As a Navy veteran, I can only say that my response would have probably have been stronger, and would definitely have come sooner, than his.
Mr. Tarlow,
What makes you think that punching the girl was somehow abandoning his training? Clearly the women in this incident (17 and 19 as I have heard it, surely old enough to be called women) escalated this situation to the point where phyisically force was required. The officer applied the right amount of force and as soon as the woman let go of him and backed off he disengaged and did not go after her. Seems to me he responded to her assault appropriately according to the level of force she was using and he wasn't acting emotionally or he would have kept going after her punching repeatedly. Would it have been better if he had punched her in the stomach???
I think the union guy is 100% right, he waited way too long to use an appropriate level of force and endangered himself by doing so. If anything they sound have him go through some more training on controlling a suspect physically while cuffing them and affecting the arrest.
Damn these dumb reporters are stupid! The girl clearly was fighting with the officer and the other girl jumped in and pushed the officer. For all he knew she was going to try and get his gun. The girl got what she was asking for and like o'neil said, "He waited to long." If I had peper pray or a taster I would have used it on both of them!
Matthew, the officer was trying to do things the right way for quite a while, but he eventually snapped. Use of restraint is effective if it is calm and cool. Taking a swing at someone's face in that situation – regardless of whether the girl did it first, which she did – means you've given away your ability to regulate the situation.
We all know that at times cops have used there uniform and power to get favors in lue of bogus charges. I walk across the street everyday. I would not have thought of it as I did something against the law. If a policeman or any man grabbed my arm, I would have pushed it away. If it would be legal for a man or police man to assault me, that is not how I understand the law. The power comes from the laws, not the uniform. This was a municiple citation, not a crime. This was j-walking. J-walking sounds like it is for the discretion of the police, some get cited; some don't. For any professional policeman to allow this to come to punching a female in the face for j-walking, has a major ego problem and is using the uniform for power, not protecting society. What is our country coming to.
Jennifer
I see where you're coming from, Jennifer, but in relation to what I see in the video footage made available, I can't agree entirely. I see an officer who tries to keep the situation under control but makes one (possibly) fatal career mistake – the punch. His emotions get the best of him, and he commits an act that looks to me like assault. I don't think that can be denied. And while jaywalking is certainly not a major crime, the two girls (particularly the one who eventually receives the punch) turn the whole situation into something else. You do not attempt to physically scuffle with a law enforcement officer while he/she is attempting to perform their duty. Walsh's attempts at restraint weren't made necessary because of jaywalking; that would be ridiculous. They appear to be made necessary because the teenagers get physical with the officer, beyond mere words.
In total, emotions ran high on both sides. But it was the officer's responsibility to not allow it to get to the point of throwing a punch. He failed in his duties and will likely be punished accordingly.
The cop was not arresting the women for j-walking, the girl was out of control and trying to cause a seen. Just do what the officer says, take the ticket and leave. The girl was a dumb teenager, he should of knocked the since into both of them.
You're right, he wasn't arresting her for that. People on Mars may be arrested for that, but not on Earth. The girl was out of control. If she had gone for his gun, violent force would have been the tragic – but, by procedure, necessary result.
I will tell you what an 18 year old student named Erica Turner said. She goes to the same school as the girls that assaulted the cop. "Do not jaywalk if you're an African American. You will get a ticket. We're going to be on TV!" It seems that she wants everyone to know she is a racist so I am helping her. Thanks to Erica. A special thanks to the Seattle Times for censoring comments that don't violate any terms in their own agreement. If they think your comment is not nice, you are banned. Now this information will be on dozens of sites. Not just one.
wellwellwell, that would add a very interesting angle to this whole affair, wouldn't it? I don't see overt racism in the video, but that video could tell only a small part of the story. What I see is an officer who abandoned his training in the heat of the moment and lost control. It was his responsibility as a law enforcement official to keep the peace, and he clearly did not do that. Regarding the Seattle Times, I don't doubt that there could be censorship. No media is free of bias.
First of all, assaulting a police officer is absolutely unacceptable, and those girls appeared to be doing just that in the video footage. Secondly, this has nothing to do with black-white racism. It's simply a troubled story starring an amateur cop and a gang of ignorant, disrespectful teens.
Well said, the cops job is to serve and protect. If he would of let his gaurd down just because they were chicks he could of got himself injured or killed.
Those cops must be discipline, they must aware of woman rights, they always abused poor little girls. Obama must act on this kind of cases.
This is not a case of woman rights, she was fighting with the officer. Girl, boy or both, you can assult an officer. You broke the law, do what the officer says, get your ticket and shut up! If you cause a seen then your going to go to jail.
If someone is arguing women's rights on this, I wish them luck in distinguishing their hindquarters from a hole in the ground.