The incident happened on June 14 as the teen was intervening in a friend’s arrest for jaywalking. On a cell phone video, the girl is seen shoving Walsh before he ultimately strikes her in the face.
When the girl touched the officer, he is seen on camera rearing back and punching her in the face before continuing to try to subdue the first woman.
The Black Law Enforcement Association of Washington (BLEAW) has publicly defended the actions of Seattle Police Officer Ian Walsh, the officer responsible for striking a 17-year-old black female in the face after the jaywalking situation escalated.
The King County prosecutor charged the 17-year-old as a juvenile with third-degree assault, which is punishable by a maximum of 30 days in detention.
In a statement released Friday, BLEAW said they believe the incident was not racially motivated and that Walsh was justified in his actions.
“This incident was unfortunate and clearly the behavior and actions by both females was embarrassing,” the statement read. “As regrettable as it looks, the officer had used great restraint in dealing with the female that had pushed him. He maintained a professional demeanor while in an adverse and potentially volatile situation.
BLEAW maintains that the officer was justified in his use of force as he was “defending himself with a punch” after being pushed by the teen.
Officer Walsh accepted the girl’s apology and is reportedly being investigated by the department’s Office of Professional Accountability for his actions. –ramone mack
