You won’t believe the ‘racial slur’ this Seattle cop used when trying to stop a fleeing black suspect that got her suspended for 15 days without pay. You’d think she used the n-word or something. But what exactly did she say?
Start watching at 1:10 and listen to what the female officer says at 1:20:
Yes, that’s all she said. That’s it. No n-word, no uncle tom comment, nothing else. Just that 3 letter word.
And for that she was suspended for 15 days without pay.
A white Seattle police officer was suspended for 15 days without pay after using racially-charged language while pursuing a black domestic violence suspect downtown.
The police union will appeal the punishment, calling it “too severe.” Meanwhile, the department said the incident demonstrates that it is committed to holding officers accountable for their actions.
In-car video obtained by KIRO Radio shows Officer Jennifer Hunt pursuing a black male near Fourth Avenue and Union Street on October 7, 2013. The suspect, 32-year-old Kimo M. Warren, was being sought for a domestic violence incident.
Several minutes into the pursuit, Warren is seen crossing in front of Officer Hunt’s patrol car on foot. Hunt can then be heard yelling, “You’re gunna get your ass shot, boy.”
The department launched an internal investigation into Officer Hunt’s conduct after her superiors heard the comment while watching the dash cam video as part of a use-of-force review. Details of the investigation were released to KIRO Radio last month under a public disclosure request. A second request was made for the in-car video, which the department provided on Friday.
Especially problematic for the department was Officer Hunt’s use of the word “boy,” which can be a derogatory way to refer to black men.
“I expressed deep concern about her word choice,” Seattle PD Sgt. George Davisson wrote in an internal memo. “I explained that regardless how she intended the comment to be taken or what she meant to say, this comment would undoubtedly be viewed in a negative context with police chasing a black male in the streets of Seattle.”