OPA released 11 protest case decisions this morning. All not sustained.

They've started issuing press releases now. Which is an improvement over them just quietly releasing decisions. They still need to communicate better on non-protest cases.

http://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/OPA/12-23-20_OPA-Dashboard-Update-FINAL.pdf

The "mourning badge" cases not sustained. OPA does not engage with numerous documented cases of names also being covered. https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/OPA/ClosedCaseSummaries/2020OPA-0325ccs120820.pdf

Not activating video also "not sustained" despite officers and supervisors straining to avoid what city policy was supposed to be.

The policy was supposed to be "record crime & arrests but not 1st amendment activity". Cops thought crime was happening all the time (every illegal assembly order, followed by crowd weapons and beatings) they still kept them off.

The actual policy didn't allow line officers to make that decision, and supervisors never gave the order to turn cameras on.

So, I guess "management action" as OPA writes is appropriate.

Except that SPD skips implementing the large majority of OPA's management action directions. They have no force.

https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/OPA/ClosedCaseSummaries/2020OPA-0326ccs120120.pdf

2020OPA-0371: a protest case where an officer self-reported that protesters claimed he hit people with his vehicle. Not sustained.

" OPA’s investigation relied on interviews with NE#1, the Lieutenant, and NE#1’s Use of Force Report from the date of the incident. "

OPA literally interviewed none of the protesters, nor is there any indication OPA tried to find them. Why?

"OPA finds it likely that, had demonstrators actually been struck by NE#1’s vehicle, a complaint would have been filed."

Oh, that's why not. OPA decided they only needed to look in the backlog of complaints. They couldn't find this incident in them, so no real investigation.

Here you go: https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/OPA/ClosedCaseSummaries/2020OPA-0371ccs120320.pdf

2020OPA-0379: Officer used 40mm foam tipped munitions indiscriminately. Not sustained.

Video shows that officer was doing so in each case because he saw someone throwing or trying to throw something at officers. Fine, I guess.

Thing is, all in support of actions to suppress protests. Actions that should not have happened. OPA doesn't appear to be reviewing any of the "this is an illegal assembly" orders, so they go with the assumption that everything connected is lawful.

And maybe that's really the fault of SCC and the mayor and SPD brass for not more tightly controlling when SPD declares riots. Something the CPC and others have said is bad.

But for this individual officer, the policy requires that officers give first aid when they deploy crowd control weapons. And this one didn't do it, and neither did anyone else. And this policy violation isn't even an allegation that's dismissed in the decision.

Link: https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/OPA/ClosedCaseSummaries/2020OPA-0379ccs121220.pdf

Didn't Durkan and SPD claim they'd made no arrests for violating the curfew the mayor imposed? Well, there's an OPA case where someone was. Our city executive branch are a bunch of lying liars.

2020OPA-0406: Claim that protester was illegally arrested, that officers were rude, and property not returned. Not sustained.

This is why I hated the curfew. The whole point was to allow officers to harass people based on their perception of why they were outside.

And it sets up the executive to be able to speak out of both sides of their mouths. "We didn't enforce the curfew." and also "it is proper to arrest this person because of the curfew." https://twitter.com/NotMyLinkedIn/status/1341825089969377282

That curfew order could have been stopped by @SeattleCouncil , but NONE of our CMs, even the ones I love or the firebrands like CM Sawant had the moxie to even fucking bring up a resolution to do so in council.

I am still heated at that. More heated at Mayor Durkan and Chief Best for promulgating such bullshit in the first place. But still...

Anyway, decision here: https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/OPA/ClosedCaseSummaries/2020OPA-0406ccs121020.pdf

2020OPA-0417: Officer improperly used pepper spray on a protester who wouldn't move. Not sustained.

OPA says lawful and proper because SPD can lawfully move a protest whenever they damn well want. And once an officer is allowed to do something, force is allowed as long they it's not leaving giant holes in the target person I guess.

Of course, OPA never evaluates the position of ... doing nothing. Not moving first amendment protesters. Just going around people who won't move. Decision here: https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/OPA/ClosedCaseSummaries/2020OPA-0417ccs120820.pdf