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Seattle police watchdog calls officerâs actions dangerous
By Martha Bellisle
SEATTLE - A Seattle police sergeant who drove an unmarked SUV onto a sidewalk toward protesters during last summer’s demonstrations violated the department’s policy to preserve life and safety, a police oversight agency said in a report released Friday. His operation of his motor vehicle and the risk he took simply to apprehend individuals using a strobe light were dangerous, ill-advised, and, as was shown by the numerous complaints and public concern this incident generated, undermined public trust and confidence in the department, the Office of Police Accountability said in its report.
(Seattle Police)
Seattle’s Office of Police Accountability (OPA) released its findings related to an incident last August, where an officer drove his unmarked SUV onto a crowded sidewalk where protesters were gathered, and was then seen on video calling a fleeing protester a “roach.”
The officer identified last September by KUOW as SPD Sgt. Michael Tietjen was seen accelerating through an intersection and onto a sidewalk without his lights or sirens on in videos posted to social media.
Tietjen is then seen speaking to protesters near the scene, telling them he had driven onto the sidewalk to “catch a bad guy,” and that the suspect had “ran like a roach.” He then went on to say that he “used to love Seattle,” but now “it’s pretty [expletive] dirty.” When asked by the protester why he still worked for SPD, he answered, “because they pay me like 200 grand a year to babysit you people.”
Police watchdog says Seattle officer’s actions were dangerous By MARTHA BELLISLE, Associated Press
Published: April 30, 2021, 12:31pm
Share: FILE - In this July 25, 2020, file photo, smoke rises as police clash with protester during a Black Lives Matter protest near the Seattle Police East Precinct headquarters in Seattle. A Seattle police sergeant who drove an unmarked SUV on to a sidewalk toward protesters during last summer s demonstrations violated the department s policy to preserve life and safety, a police oversight agency said in a report released Friday, April 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
SEATTLE A Seattle police sergeant who drove an unmarked SUV onto a sidewalk toward protesters during last summer’s demonstrations violated the department’s policy to preserve life and safety, a police oversight agency said in a report released Friday.