A Black man was arrested for using a golf club as a cane. According to the Seattle Times, William Wingate, 69, was doing his daily 10-mile walk when he was stopped by officer Cynthia Whitlatch.
Whitlatch, a White woman, accused Wingate of using the golf club as a weapon in July 2014. However, dash cam video captured the incident and proved that Whitlatch fabricated her story. In the video, Wingate is seen walking calmly when approached by Whitlatch.
The officer began yelling at Wingate and forced him to put down his club. Although Wingate never reacted in an aggressive manner, he was arrested and charged with unlawful use of a weapon.
A former state representative viewed the video and raised questions in regards to Whitlatch’s actions. The officer also posted a racially charged message on Facebook when Mike Brown was shot in Ferguson. She wrote, “black peoples paranoia makes them think whites are out to get them.”
The Seattle Police Department opened an internal investigation and decided to fire Whitlatch for her actions against Wingate and the fact that she held racist views. Wingate has since decided to sue Whitlatch and the city of Seattle.
With so much police corruption occurring due to racial biases, the Seattle Police Department should serve as an example of how other departments should punish officers who racially profile innocent citizens.
