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**gunnut** · 17 Jun 10,, 00:22

My first reaction was not one of racist, but of sexist. He punched a woman? Where is NOW?

**bigross86** · 17 Jun 10,, 00:24

A proper punch used to subdue the subject. Would you rather he tase her? He should have punched the other one too, if she kept causing trouble after that.

**troung** · 17 Jun 10,, 00:45

If you push the Cop they will leave.

**troung** · 17 Jun 10,, 03:57

Girls acted like they were part of a Gaza aid convoy...

June 16, 2010 10:33 AM
Cop Punches Woman (VIDEO): What Really Happened During Jaywalking Scuffle?
Posted by Edecio Martinez 125 comments
Cop Punches Woman (VIDEO): What Really Happened During Jaywalking Scuffle? - Crimesider - CBS News

SEATTLE (CBS/KIRO/AP) More information has been released about what led a Seattle cop to punch a young woman in the face during a scuffle that was caught on video.

The video shows Officer Ian P. Walsh trying to arrest 19-year-old Marilyn Levias. The two were already struggling when Levias' friend, a 17-year-old, pushed the officer, and he responded by punching the friend in the face.

"Are you serious? Are you serious?," bystanders are heard saying.

According to probable cause documents, 19-year-old Marilyn Levias and a 17-year-old girl were in a group of four people who were jaywalking to get to their friend. Walsh approached the group and was attempting to gather information when Levias began walking away, documents stated.

He said to her, "You have jaywalked and you are required to identify yourself so that I can issue a citation, if you refuse you will be arrested for obstruction." Levias continued to walk away, the officer said.

At this time, a witness started recording video of the scene.

Walsh walked up to Levias and grabbed her arm and attempted to handcuff her, but "Levias began twisting around and pull away in an attempt to get away," documents said. As Walsh was handcuffing Levias, the 17-year-old girl ran up behind Walsh and pushed him, and a struggle ensued. The video shows Walsh throwing a punch and hitting the 17-year-old girl.

The 17-year-old was handcuffed and booked into the Youth Services Center for investigation of felony assault.

Levias was pulled away by witnesses, documents said. She was arrested and booked into the King County Jail for obstructing a police officer.

CBS Affiliate KIRO found court records that show Levias has been arrested for assaulting a police officer before. According to court documents, Levias kicked a King County Sheriff's deputy in the stomach while she resisted arrest at the Ruth Dykeman Center in Burien. She was living in the center last year in the care of Child Protective Services.

Acting Deputy Police Chief Nick Metz said at a news conference Tuesday the department is withholding judgment until an investigation is complete.

"Force never looks good. It's never pretty," Metz said. But he also noted, "We do have a number of concerns about the tactics the officer used and employed at the time."

In a news conference carried live on kirotv.com, Seattle Urban League CEO James Kelly called the punch an overreaction that recalled the kicking two officers delivered to a Hispanic suspect in an April 17 incident caught on video.

"The provocation of the 17-year-old may have presented a confrontation situation, but the use of violence in the form of a full-blown fist to the face was wrong," Kelly said.

The 17-year-old girl appeared in juvenile court Tuesday and the judge released her to the custody of her state-appointed guardians pending a filing decision on charges, and she will be back in court next week.

Levias is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.

Reporting Contributed by CBS Affiliate KIRO

**Blue** · 17 Jun 10,, 05:02

All I can say is that I'm glad I'm not a cop anymore. I would be working witha bunch of jackasses. That was basically the case in 1992 when I quit. Now everyone is seeing all over the net what I saw all the time.

No bigger criminals to catch besides JAYWALKERS!?!?!?! Geeeez!! WTF???

Jaywalking now requires a beatdown. Watch the stupid police chase video shows. They kill three people and wreck half a dozen cars to catch a shoplifter or someone with expired tags. WTF are these stupid fvcks thinking?

It disgusts me!

**dave lukins** · 17 Jun 10,, 11:41

I'm no too sure if the punch connected. If you pause at the right moment when she is being put in the car there is not a mark on her. It's not a good thing to do but it was not going to get peaceful, plus he was shoved and in the heat of the moment struck back.

**Dreadnought** · 17 Jun 10,, 17:48

IMO, The cop had every right.

All cities right now are facing hard economic times. They are enforcing all laws including "dont block the box", jaywalking etc, hell the city I work in has a 75.00 fine for talking on your cell phone while driving. Jay walking is a law on the books in many places.

That young lady would have been issued a citation and on her way with no problems at all (A judge probably would have laughed it out of court) had she not turned and walked away while ignoring the officer. It has nothing to due with color it has everything to do with respect for the law. She chose to ignore the officer and he proceeded to arrest her which is lawful. I dont know many officers that are going to shrug it off when someone they speak to ignores them and blows them off. This is what happens.

Her friend also showed an absolute disrepect for the law but intervening and pushing the officer. Shes dam lucky she was a woman and not a man. A man no doubt would have been ruffed up even more if not tasered.

It has nothing to do with color nor gender. It does have everything to do with respect for the law and those that enforce it. Perhaps maybe the two ladies should know the law's of the cities they live in. Its not up to the police to provide an explanation just to enforce them.

Sorry Ladies but you F'ed up and now you get to pay for it. And no doubt it will be alot more expensive then "jaywalking".

**Genosaurer** · 17 Jun 10,, 18:46

When I see videos like this I am honestly baffled. Maybe my parents were old-fashioned, but at that age I don't think I ever would have cussed at or attempted to shove a cop for any reason. You just don't do that.

(I wish Philadelphia cops would make some effort to stop jaywalking. People walk out between cars all the time instead of using the crosswalks; more than once I've narrowly avoided hitting a pedestrian who did that because I couldn't see them until they were in the street.)

**highsea** · 17 Jun 10,, 18:54

Cops in Seattle have better things to do than write jaywalking tickets.

But they are trained to respond in certain ways, and when the girl shoved him he switched to self-defense mode. It's automatic.

He had a crowd around him, people behind him, taunting him, etc. As soon as he popped that delinquent she backed off. So he connected, no doubt about that.

He did what he was trained to do, no more or less. Shoving a cop isn't a very intelligent thing to do, they aren't going to back down.

**Blue** · 18 Jun 10,, 03:59

Originally posted by highsea View Post

He did what he was trained to do, no more or less. Shoving a cop isn't a very intelligent thing to do, they aren't going to back down.

There is no training for police in the US of ANY kind I know of that trains cops to punch people in the face. He was NOT doing what he was trained to do. He reacted and reacted improperly.

Look guys, I'm no liberal and you know it, I personally believe the mouthy b1tch needed her ass kicked, but not by a cop.

I was a tow the line, good cop. I stopped REAL crimes, not jaywalking and I was trained to first talk down and diffuse a situation before it got physical. If that didn't work, it was time to employ non-striking, physical control methods to properly subdue a perp without injury to them or you. Striking was only reserved for the level of force just prior to deadly force.

This cop was wrong, period. He let his actions/emotions get out of control.

**YellowFever** · 18 Jun 10,, 09:33

I can understand that, snipe, but let's say a pedestrian WERE to just walk away from you while you were in the process of issuing them a citation?

Looks like things were being done by the book until the other one shoved the cop.

(Yeah, it was just a simple jaywalk but the police do have the right to stop you and issue you a citation for it)

I mean I'm not a cop so I don't know the procedure but what does a cop do when someone just turns around and walks away from you while you are talking to them or issuing a citation?

And what is a proper way for a cop to react if they are pushed?

I'm not being argumentative, I just want to know the proper procedure.

**highsea** · 19 Jun 10,, 02:32

Originally posted by 7thsfsniper View Post

There is no training for police in the US of ANY kind I know of that trains cops to punch people in the face. He was NOT doing what he was trained to do. He reacted and reacted improperly.

I discussed this incident with a friend of mine who is a stater. He said that they all go through the same basic training in Washington, whether or not they are city, county, or state.

His take was that the response was within bounds, they are trained to use whatever level of physical force they deem warranted to end the fight, including punching with or without a stick.

I know that part of Seattle, and it's not a good place to be hanging around. With that crowd forming around him and behind him, and him without backup, I can understand his response. It wasn't very long ago that one was jumped by a crowd in the same part of town and had the crap kicked out of him. Suffered TBI and is still out of commission.

I don't know. It's a different world out there today, my friend.

**Blue** · 19 Jun 10,, 06:35

Originally posted by YellowFever View Post

I can understand that, snipe, but let's say a pedestrian WERE to just walk away from you while you were in the process of issuing them a citation?

When an LEO stops or interrupts you in any way for the purpose of investigating further an illegal action that either they witnessed, or was reported to them, at that time you have been detained. Upon questioning or further investigation, when citation has been warranted, then they are technically putting that person under arrest. Arrest doesn't mean getting slammed and cuffed, it is only warranted by what is necessary to conduct the "business" at hand. If you are cooperative, no cuffs for you, resist or escalate the situation, then its time to get physical.

If that person attempts to walk away, the LEO has the choice to detain them by physical force. Notice that I said choice.

At that time it is solely up to the LEO to determine if pursuit is worth the crime. How many innocent people get killed by high speed pursuits that are for nothing more than a $35 traffic infraction? How many people get punched in the face over a stupid jaywalking ticket? If someone wants to jaywalk and gets run over by a car, then hell, I think thats much more poetic getting a ticket!

Looks like things were being done by the book until the other one shoved the cop.

All I can say is that in all the arrests and knockdown dragouts in bars that I have been in, I never had to punch anyone in the face.

ONE TIME ONLY, while working as a bouncer in a bar, I took a guy out that punched his girlfriend in the face while on the dancefloor. I put him in a chokehold and was dragging him out when he somehow got loose and faced me. I took him down and punched him the face twice. I broke my watch and one of my fingers. It was the ONLY time I ever lost my cool in a fight. Probably because of what he had just done. He pissed me off and I wanted some justice. Cost me a finger in a splint for a month and a new watch. I was realy pissed about that!

In all my 7 years as a cop, I NEVER punched anyone to subdue or defend myself.

Now I'll tell you why. Because since I was 16 years old I studied martial arts, and more specifically, after I became an MP at 18, Aikido. I cared enough to do my job so well, that I dedicated myself to get the best training to do my job the best it could possibly be done. When I quit doing LE, I had already noticed a decline in the newer officers that did. They relied more on stun guns and pepper spray than thier own unarmed skills.

(Yeah, it was just a simple jaywalk but the police do have the right to stop you and issue you a citation for it)

Of course, but really, why? Did they affect someone else? Did they do harm to another? Did thier "crime" have the potential to do harm to another? Jaywalking is an infraction. The absolute lowest form of crime there is.

And what is a proper way for a cop to react if they are pushed?

The rule that stands is "the minimum amount of force necessary to affect an arrest". That is the law everywhere I know(or at least knew unless America has gone nuts).

I'm not being argumentative, I just want to know the proper procedure.

And I am happy to answer you in kind. I didn't interpret you as being argumentive. Law enforcement is a strange and seemingly mysterious place for civilians. I wish civilians would educate themselves better on the law and police procedures for it would put a stop many of the petty things that happen nationwide on a second by second basis.

However, I think times may have changed. Hopefully not policies, but the caliber of LEO we have today has definitely changed. IMO, there needs to be an infusion of humility into that system again.

**Blue** · 19 Jun 10,, 06:43

Originally posted by highsea View Post

I discussed this incident with a friend of mine who is a stater. He said that they all go through the same basic training in Washington, whether or not they are city, county, or state.

His take was that the response was within bounds, they are trained to use whatever level of physical force they deem warranted to end the fight, including punching with or without a stick.

So do you agree with my philosophy that since an LEO is in such a place of reponsibility that they should execute thier duties above reproach and with the utmost of ability and professionalism?

I know that part of Seattle, and it's not a good place to be hanging around. With that crowd forming around him and behind him, and him without backup, I can understand his response.

So he picks this spot to write a jaywalking ticket? I would only ask that you look at the bigger picture here and ask, was it really necessary?

It wasn't very long ago that one was jumped by a crowd in the same part of town and had the crap kicked out of him. Suffered TBI and is still out of commission.

That alone would have made me have back-up close by or been more selective in my enforcement as to avoid the exact situation that arose.

I don't know. It's a different world out there today, my friend.

You're not kiddin friend!!

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Seattle police guild defends officer's teen punch

Seattle police guild defends officer's teen punch

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