We need leadership that holds police officers accountable

HOW can anyone expect to get justice if George Troy Patterson can't?

Patterson submitted a complaint to the Office of Professional Accountability (OPA), the internal investigations unit of the Seattle Police Department, on Jan. 5. He alleged that, three days earlier, Officers Greg Neubert and Mike Tietjen used unnecessary force in arresting him, and falsely reported recovering drugs from him.

This would have been a typical situation of a civilian's word against the officers' word, except that there happened to be another witness at the scene (whose presence was not documented in the officers' reports of the incident) to corroborate Patterson's story. And there was a Walgreens surveillance camera that taped the whole incident.

One of the country's foremost forensic video experts later analyzed the videotape and determined that the arrest was markedly different than what the officers had reported: The officers never recovered any drugs from Patterson at the scene of the arrest, and they used significant amounts of force on Patterson.

Later, when interviewed by internal investigators, the officers continued to deny using force on Patterson and continued to maintain that they recovered drugs when they arrested him, though they could not locate that event when shown the videotape.

Patterson stood up for the rights of all civilians when he showed enough trust in the system to report Neubert's and Tietjen's misconduct. He was rewarded by having Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske imply in press statements that he had made a false complaint and tampered with a witness (an allegation refuted by the report of the civilian review board released last week).

And so, one has to wonder: Why should a complainant who has no witness or videotape even bother telling the department that he or she suffered misconduct at the hands of a Seattle officer?

Kerlikowske's exoneration of the officers in the Patterson case, despite a mountain of evidence against them, echoes the Maikoiyo Alley-Barnes case of 2005, in which Alley-Barnes was kicked and punched by officers on Capitol Hill after complaining to officers that they were acting unconstitutionally in harassing his friend.

Similar to the Patterson case, the officers' stories did not match an audiotape and an independent witness' account, but the chief overturned the recommendation of the civilian head of OPA and exonerated the officers.

It has come to light in recent weeks that there are at least 22 additional cases since 2003, and perhaps many more, in which the OPA director's disciplinary recommendations were set aside by the chief. This includes a case in which the head of Harborview security and other officers were so troubled by witnessing a training officer — with trainee officer in tow — assaulting a man in handcuffs that they reported the incident to OPA themselves.

The exoneration of wayward officers by a police chief who then lashes out at anyone who dares to disagree contributes to a culture in which officers can act with impunity because they know that they will not face any consequences for misdeeds.

In recent weeks, while denouncing the "political agenda" of those who have brought these cases forward, Mayor Greg Nickels has called for two different reviews of the investigatory process. His reviews are unlikely to lead to real change, especially absent any indication from the mayor that he sees any problem with the current situation.

OPA should not be reviewing its own volunteer review board, which lacks any authority to discipline or sanction officers and can only bring systemic problems to public attention, as it did last week. Additionally, the Seattle Police Officers' Guild currently is in negotiations with the city for a new three-year contract, meaning that any changes to the disciplinary system that would need to be bargained for are likely out of reach for three more years.

We need to envision a new police-accountability system that is not subject to bargaining. We need new leadership that believes that dishonesty and abuse of an officer's power cannot be tolerated. And we need to see the officers who have committed crimes such as assault and perjury against those whom they have promised to serve and protect, prosecuted and held accountable.

No city official has yet acknowledged what anyone who reviews the evidence can see for herself: The wrong result was reached in Patterson's complaint against Neubert and Tietjen. The officers fabricated evidence, lied about it under oath and to internal investigators, and used unacknowledged force without stated justification.

Since our elected and appointed leaders are unwilling to say so, all Seattleites must wonder: When George Troy Patterson's complaint is rejected despite a mountain of evidence, what justice can I expect if I walk in with only my word and the truth?

James Bible is president of the Seattle/King County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. E-mail him at diazbible@yahoo.com