OPA hired an audio expert to see if an officer used the N-word
Seattle’s police accountability agency called in an expert to review audio from an officer’s bodyworn video in which he was alleged to have called a Black arrestee a “tall-ass n****r,” according to a report released last Thursday. Investigators who initially reviewed the audio said that the third word was unintelligible. Rookie officer Jacob Zimmer claims that he said “tall-ass man” but this is contradicted by the findings of the specialist, who analyzed it by slowing it down and attempting to isolate the word.
The audio expert established “with confidence” that the word was two syllables but was unable to determine definitively what it might be, according to the Office of Police Accountability. He conducted a blind test using 13 people who didn’t know what the allegations were. None of them suggested that they heard the n-word.
However, for the second part of the study, the participants were told of the specific allegations. Nearly half of them said that they heard the racial slur.
In the end, the OPA did not sustain findings against the officer, ruling that the evidence was “inconclusive.”
The Seattle police are currently under a federal consent decree for a pattern of excessive force against racial and ethnic minorities, the unhoused, and the mentally ill. These patterns have not changed much despite nearly a decade of court-ordered reforms. Moreover, high-profile incidents of racist behavior by its officers have caused the department considerable embarrassment in recent years.
A week before this report came out, SPD suspended an officer who called his Black coworker a “thug” just for being dressed in the same casual workout clothes that many officers wear to work. Two Black officers interviewed as a part of the OPA investigation said that racism is common and command does little to address it.
Multiple officers have been fired for racist remarks and behavior but many remain on the job. Officer Lora Alcantara was caught on camera calling a suspect a “fucking negro” and lying to investigators. Not only is Alcantara still on the force — she has since been promoted to lieutenant.
Officer Frank Poblocki stalked and harassed a Black man who had insulted him while Poblocki was towing the man’s car. He used the police database to find where the man worked and set up an office chair outside to demand an apology. Though he also lied to investigators — a fireable offense under the union contract — Poblocki’s job was saved through the personal intervention of Chief Carmen Best.
Det. Shandy Cobane is still on the force despite being caught on camera saying he would “beat the Mexican piss” out of a man and kicking him in his head.
In 2018, Det. Salvatore Ditusa was allowed to retire in lieu of termination after he was caught using the N-word while working off-duty for Seattle City Light. More recently, officer Todd Novisedlak was canned after his ex-girlfriend produced multiple racist text messages. In one, he referred to a female officer as an “angry Black lesbian.” Novisedlak called a Black sergeant a “monkey” and a Latino officer a “lazy Mexican.”
The Seattle Police Department has the dubious distinction of being home to the largest contingent of officers who attended the deadly January 6 rally at the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Despite lawsuits attempting to block their identification, all six were named by DivestSPD.
Far-right extremism is common in the department, as revealed by officers’ social media posts. One was fired last year for wishing Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton would get sent package bombs. K9 Officer Christopher Gregorio was caught reposting propaganda from a British fascist party and later went on to shoot a schizophrenic Black man in the back as he was running away.
DivestSPD also recently uncovered posts on Facebook by domestic violence detective Shaun Hamlin, glorifying violence and calling Black Lives Matter a “terrorist organization.”
OPA noted that Zimmer had never been disciplined or received any complaints alleging bias. However, the 26-year-old officer only finished training in 2018, and has thus far been the subject of four complaints. He received a training referral for an unconstitutional warrantless search in 2018.
Zimmer also shot a suicidal man during his first year on the job.
