Posted on 02/27/2009 5:39:58 PM PST by microgood
SEATTLE - A security video released Friday shows a King County sheriff's deputy purportedly shoving and kicking a 15-year-old girl in a holding cell after her arrest.
The security video was obtained by KOMO News under the state Open Records Act.
The deputy, Paul Schene, 31, has been charged with fourth-degree assault in connection with the Nov. 29 incident in a holding cell at SeaTac City Hall. Schene pleaded not guilty to the charge Thursday, and he was released on his own recognizance.
According to court records, Schene and another deputy arrested a pair of 15-year-old girls for investigation of auto theft after they were stopped driving a stolen car.
The girls were taken to the holding facility at SeaTac City Hall for fingerprinting and other processing.
Trouble allegedly began after Schene escorted one of the teens into a holding cell. While trying to take her shoes off, the girl kicked off her left shoe, which struck the deputy in the shin, the document said.
The video shows the girl crossing her arms and kicking off her shoe through the doorway of the cell. The video then shows the deputy's violent response. (Watch the video clip.)
Court records say Schene kicked the teen in the upper thigh area, then pushed her into the back wall before taking her down on the floor and putting her in a handcuffing position. Once on the floor, Schene grabbed the teen's hair and yanked her head and neck upward, the document said.
With the help of the other deputy, Schene then handcuffed the teen, the document said. While doing so, Schene appeared to strike the teen twice overhead, investigators noted. However, due to the angle of the camera, they could not determine whether the deputy had actually hit the teen.
The document states teen then began complaining about not being able to breathe. She later told investigators she was pulled up to her feet by her hair and taken back to the regular holding area. Medics were called to tend to her, but she was not taken to the hospital.
Both girls were booked into the Youth Center on auto theft charges. One of the girls was also booked for assault for allegedly assaulting the deputy.
Schene's attorney, Anne Bremner, released a statement Friday in response to the video's release. The statement said:
"We had argued strenuously that the video tape released to the media this morning not be released because it does not tell the whole story of the incident. As we argued to the judge, it will inflame public opinion and will severely impact the deputy's right to a fair trial. We will defend this misdemeanor case in court. No story can be sliced so thin that it does not have two sides. We hope that judgment will be reserved until all the facts of this case are given fair consideration in court."
On Dec. 1, the detective assigned to the auto theft and assault case checked the security video as part of her follow-up investigation. She saw the holding cell video and immediately notified her supervisor.
An investigation then began, and the accused deputy, an 8-year veteran of the force, was placed on paid administrative leave the following day. He currently remains on leave.
Sgt. John Urquhart said the surveillance video shows Schene "using more force that was necessary as far as the prosecutor's office is concerned. And as far as we're concerned, that rises up to the level of an assault."
Schene said the teen had become enraged when she found out she was going to be booked into the Youth Center, the document said.
The teen told detectives she had not meant to hit the deputy with her shoe, and said she never resisted arrest. She also said the incident left a bruise on her right hip, as well as scratches on her arm and neck.
The second teen later told investigators her friend and Schene had been "arguing at each other" since the traffic stop.
The second deputy said the alleged victim was "real lippy," calling the deputies names and "basically trying to piss us off."
Schene refused to explain why he had made the two strikes toward the teen in the holding cell since he and his partner appeared to have the teen under control. He also refused to say whether the strikes actually made contact.
Now that the criminal investigation is complete, the sheriff's Internal Investigations Unit will launch its own probe. The result will determine discipline, which could include termination.
Try selling that to someone who isn’t young and naive. I’ve been on the wrong side of the bars far too many times and have never seen such bad behavior from any “former” cop. In fact I’m usually on the other side of these arguments giving the cop the benifit of a doubt. The idiot that behaved like that is done.
I wonder if his action would have been the same if it was a 240 pound Hells Angel lipping off to him.. ................... A little different I’m sure, he should have a night stick on his belt.
The are the more engineering type bikers.
Well, what do you write in the officers record? Unable to trick, deal, psych out a 15 year old girl?
Her arms are cross because that is a protective stance, a fear reaction.
Her hands come up because his hand comes through the doorway and is arching up at the same time he’s aiming to kick her knee, she was likely protecting her face/eyes.
You let anyone come at you with their hands aimed at your face and see if you don’t try to protect your eyes.
This happen to a child of mine, I go to prison for life.
I see the girl giving the cops some crap. A professional response to that might have been as forceful as firmly grabbing her by the arm and explaining that crap will not be tolerated, but most professional would have been to simply slam shut the door.
Assault 4 is barely a violation, something you get for throwing a non defensive punch in an argument. This looks like more than that to me.
Two big men, one 15 year old female child.
Don’t give me your long disserations.
Two big men, one 15 year old female child.
Find out more facts about the case FIRST. Until you deal with foul mouthed, Godless teenagers every day, please hold your comments.
In your opinion a foul mouth and being dissed by 15 year old girl deserves a beat down by two much larger adult males?
And people say I’m cracked.
I cannot believe some of the comments on this forum. So many people who NEVER work with teens or youth have so much expertise. We have masses of poorly trained children who do not know ANYTHING about God and the Bible who treat teachers and each other like animals every day. If you only knew what goes on in the schools you would understand this situation a LOT better.
She was treated a LOT nicer by both men than my now deceased WWII Navy Vet father would have done to me for what she probably said and did to them...a LOT nicer. If we don’t get back to a respect-for-authority society pretty soon, we are doomed.
Now one iota of apology for my point of view in the matter. Without background knowledge from my point of view on this incident, it is impossible for those who disagree to even begin to understand why some of these teens need to be taught some very hard lessons.
I think it is just a function of numbers. People are not machines. Enough people as cops, making enough arrests...things are going to go south every now and then.
If this was the officers only event, I’d be inclined for rehabilitation. It could well be a one time event, upon which he comes out a way better officer, and thus a benefit to all.
Short of the girl turning out to be a heavily armed midget ninja dude, I can't think of anything that would exculpate the LEO.
Can you think of any other circumstances that would?
Professionals should act like professionals if they want to be respected, not like gang enforcers.
“Colors” with Robert Duvall and Sean Penn? ...... Yes years ago. My favorite actor cop was Franz’s part on Hill Street Blues when he played Det. Bennedeto. He was so typical of the cops I knew growing up in Brooklyn in the 50’s and a few that served in the ARNG. We had a couple of NYPD type in our family at that time (50’s) they were uniform beat police and as far as I know they behaved. We had neighborhood cops that walked around the neighborhood. Things were a lot quieter then. BTW, they were tough on punks, they would slap you around if you got caught misbehaving, like getting caught stealing a car. They would yank your butt right out of the car and slam you down,
and with no Miranda rights read to you.
By and large the authority figures in our society suck.
Both Republican and Democrats are making young kids like this financial serfs. Debt slaves. Peons.
The schools are totally screwed up, low quality holding pens. Who’s responsible? The kids?
These kids are inheriting an American that is worse than the one their parents grew up in.
In general, I don’t blame kids, nor troops for the conditions done by their parents or so called leaders.
I'm not going to argue that point because it is correct. However, the blatant disrespect for authority that is seen across the nation in the public schools has simply got to stop. And, the lawyers who encourage it and the parents who condone it should both be severely punished. If it doesn't change, then the nation will fall and it will all be a moot point.
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