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PoliticAverse

(26,366 posts)
Thu Jan 29, 2015, 08:54 AM Jan 2015

Seattle Cops Sorry About Arresting 70-Year-Old Black Vet for No Reason

Last edited Thu Jan 29, 2015, 02:06 PM - Edit history (1)

This week, the Seattle Police Department issued an apology to a 70-year-old black veteran who was arrested last summer when a female officer apparently falsely accused him of threatening her with a golf club.

William Wingate, a 69-year-old Seattle man who regularly used his golf club as a cane, was standing on a street corner last summer when Officer Cynthia Whitlatch pulled up next to him.

In a exchange captured on her police cruiser's dash cam, Whitlatch accused Wingate of threatening her with his club, repeatedly warning him, "You're being audio and videotaped."

But as the police department conceded, there's no evidence at all—much less a recording—showing that Wingate threatened Whitlatch in any way.

Read the rest at: http://gawker.com/seattle-pd-sorry-about-arresting-70-year-old-black-vete-1682456896

Edited to add link to additional story:
Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole Orders Review of Officer Cynthia Whitlatch's Conduct
http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2015/01/28/seattle-police-chief-kathleen-otoole-orders-review-of-officer-cynthia-whitlatchs-conduct

28 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Seattle Cops Sorry About Arresting 70-Year-Old Black Vet for No Reason (Original Post) PoliticAverse Jan 2015 OP
But he was black. Did she at least get a promotion? Hoppy Jan 2015 #1
Bald face lies told by that female cop. KeepItReal Jan 2015 #2
Indeed, what would have happened to him if there was no recording. n/t PoliticAverse Jan 2015 #3
His plea bargain misdemeanor to avoid jail would have held KeepItReal Jan 2015 #7
Not defending this ignorant cop TexasProgresive Jan 2015 #6
You can carry a gun but not a golf club. Downwinder Jan 2015 #4
That rule only applies to black people. ZombieHorde Jan 2015 #17
My question is: How can this cop ever testify in court again CanonRay Jan 2015 #5
Her "supervisor's counseling" probably won't even be in her personnel file KeepItReal Jan 2015 #8
Except every defense attorney in the area will know the story CanonRay Jan 2015 #9
What about previous testimony by this officer? PADemD Jan 2015 #11
I suppose on an appeal if there was a conviction CanonRay Jan 2015 #28
Her future testimony will be seriously contested ... 1StrongBlackMan Jan 2015 #20
Fucking lying ass pigs gopiscrap Jan 2015 #10
Pigs are mostly Madmiddle Jan 2015 #12
Post removed Post removed Jan 2015 #13
Off hand, I'd say that the Vet has a very good case where the city of Seattle pays drynberg Jan 2015 #14
The power brokers won't be paying. jeff47 Jan 2015 #16
So the police department conceded. Did they fire her? jwirr Jan 2015 #15
Nothingshowing that Wingate threatened Whitlatch in any way. ...yeah but he was Black & had a lunasun Jan 2015 #18
You gotta watch this matt819 Jan 2015 #19
Yep. F4lconF16 Jan 2015 #23
Why stop here? Roy Rolling Jan 2015 #21
her facebook post were awful irisblue Jan 2015 #22
So you saw that shit as well? giftedgirl77 Jan 2015 #26
Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole Orders Review of Officer Cynthia Whitlatch's Conduct PoliticAverse Jan 2015 #24
I think you should cross post this to GD-wider audience albino65 Jan 2015 #25
Fire that lying, bigoted bully. Dont call me Shirley Jan 2015 #27
 

Hoppy

(3,595 posts)
1. But he was black. Did she at least get a promotion?
Thu Jan 29, 2015, 09:04 AM
Jan 2015

(For the benighted amongst us, yes, its sarcasm.)

KeepItReal

(7,769 posts)
2. Bald face lies told by that female cop.
Thu Jan 29, 2015, 09:04 AM
Jan 2015

Since when is a golf club a f*cking weapon?

See how easy it is for an innocent Black man to catch a misdemeanor conviction to avoid imprisonment?

This burns me up.

KeepItReal

(7,769 posts)
7. His plea bargain misdemeanor to avoid jail would have held
Thu Jan 29, 2015, 10:03 AM
Jan 2015

That's the most critical point here.

He had to admit to a crime just to avoid being locked up off the cop's word alone.

TexasProgresive

(12,157 posts)
6. Not defending this ignorant cop
Thu Jan 29, 2015, 09:31 AM
Jan 2015

but a golf club can be lethal, ask Martha Moxley's family.


...Moxley's body was found underneath a tree in her family's backyard. Her trousers and underwear were pulled down, but she had not been sexually assaulted. Pieces of a broken six-iron golf club were found near the body. An autopsy indicated she had been both bludgeoned and stabbed with the club, which was traced back to the Skakel home.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Martha_Moxley

CanonRay

(14,111 posts)
5. My question is: How can this cop ever testify in court again
Thu Jan 29, 2015, 09:25 AM
Jan 2015

and hope to be believed? Her credibility is now and forever shot to shit. Which makes her semi-worthless as a cop.

KeepItReal

(7,769 posts)
8. Her "supervisor's counseling" probably won't even be in her personnel file
Thu Jan 29, 2015, 10:14 AM
Jan 2015

So unless you Google her or remember her name, she goes back into the pool of cops and the subset of racist ones at that.

People like her are no different than the Klan. In fact she does more damage nowadays. The Klan wishes they could ruin minority lives under force of law by handing out misdemeanor (and even felony ) convictions on innocent minorities.

CanonRay

(14,111 posts)
9. Except every defense attorney in the area will know the story
Thu Jan 29, 2015, 10:18 AM
Jan 2015

and won't hesitate to use it, totally admissable as it goes to credibility. She's done as a cop in court.

CanonRay

(14,111 posts)
28. I suppose on an appeal if there was a conviction
Thu Jan 29, 2015, 04:54 PM
Jan 2015

not sure if it would be successful, but if I were in jail, I'd sure as hell give it a shot.

Response to PoliticAverse (Original post)

drynberg

(1,648 posts)
14. Off hand, I'd say that the Vet has a very good case where the city of Seattle pays
Thu Jan 29, 2015, 11:01 AM
Jan 2015

Him a lot of money. Does this Vet have a sharp lawyer? It's not too late to act. This is what the power brokers understand...lots of zeros with a number in front of the amount they have to pay for this crap.

jeff47

(26,549 posts)
16. The power brokers won't be paying.
Thu Jan 29, 2015, 11:29 AM
Jan 2015

A lawsuit would cause Seattle taxpayers to pay. Those aren't the power brokers.

lunasun

(21,646 posts)
18. Nothingshowing that Wingate threatened Whitlatch in any way. ...yeah but he was Black & had a
Thu Jan 29, 2015, 11:32 AM
Jan 2015

Gulf club.
And was walking !

matt819

(10,749 posts)
19. You gotta watch this
Thu Jan 29, 2015, 11:42 AM
Jan 2015

If you aren't flabbergasted by this video, you aren't paying attention. This cop was so out of line, it's no joke. And, yet, if you go to the link, you'll see that she wasn't fired. She was counseled. What a crock. She's delusional.

F4lconF16

(3,747 posts)
23. Yep.
Thu Jan 29, 2015, 12:26 PM
Jan 2015

Video evidence, physical evidence, whatever you want, it's not going to hurt them. During the MLK day protests downtown, there were multiple SPD officers who assaulted protesters with pepper spray. One of them was turning away to go to the sidewalk so he wouldn't get in trouble when he got sprayed full in the face. There's video evidence and numerous eyewitness accounts (including mine) that he was sprayed for no reason at all. Do I have any hope that cop's going to face charges, or even disciplinary action? Not at all.

Roy Rolling

(6,928 posts)
21. Why stop here?
Thu Jan 29, 2015, 11:56 AM
Jan 2015

It should be easy to round up the hundreds of golf club-toting outlaws on the golf courses around Seattle.

 

giftedgirl77

(4,713 posts)
26. So you saw that shit as well?
Thu Jan 29, 2015, 03:19 PM
Jan 2015

The poor little poor white person meme, that is usually dragged out by a racist ass. It sounded like a speech right from a whiny white pride or klan rally.

 

albino65

(484 posts)
25. I think you should cross post this to GD-wider audience
Thu Jan 29, 2015, 02:49 PM
Jan 2015

The video at gawker is very telling, and you can't fake that.

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