Cop Punches Woman (VIDEO): Were Cop's Actions Justified?

By: Carlin DeGuerin Miller
Topics: Daily Blotter

SEATTLE (CBS/KIRO/AP) Apparently they take jaywalking very seriously in Seattle.

The Seattle Police Officers' Guild is saying Patrol Officer Ian P. Walsh was justified in punching a 17-year-old girl in the face after she shoved him during a dispute over jaywalking.

Rich O'Neil, president of the Officers' Guild, said that Walsh used "appropriate" force when he punched the teen during a struggle with the teen and another woman, 19-year-old Marilyn Levias, according to local station KCPQ.

But many community groups are outraged over what they call an example of police brutality. Seattle Urban League CEO James Kelly says the cell phone video of the incident brings to mind an April 17 video of Seattle police kicking a Hispanic suspect.

"Force never looks good. It's never pretty," acting deputy police chief Nick Metz said of the jaywalking incident. "We do train in the use of punching [but] we do have a number of concerns about the tactics the officer used and employed at the time."

Seattle police are conducting an internal investigation into the incident, but Metz has said the women bear much of the responsibility for resisting arrest.

Levias was arrested and booked into the King County Jail for obstructing a police officer. The 17-year-old was handcuffed and booked into the Youth Services Center for investigation of felony assault.

According to court records, Levias had previously been arrested for assaulting a police officer while resisting arrest last year at a youth center where she was a resident at the time. The documents say that Levias kicked a King County Sheriff's deputy in the stomach during the confrontation at the Ruth Dykeman Center in Burien, Wash., about 15 miles south of Seattle.

56 Comments Have Your Say
Email Story Send to a Friend
Share This Tell Your Friends
Tweet This Tweet This
More Share It

Add a Comment

See all 56 Comments


by 1getajob October 11, 2010 10:55 PM EDT: The cop was justified!!! Police are supposed to use the minimal amount of force necessary to affect an arrest. The cop had already tried grabbing her hands and placing them behind her back, but she resisted and then he was pushed. What is funny, is most of the people that are commenting negatively about the police officer, don't even have a job, and most have been arrested at some point in their life. I'm tired of the race card. Fact is, there are more blacks in jail, more using welfare, more without jobs, and more commenting negatively about this police officer. All of these facts can be verified with a little research. I'm not racist, just stating the facts, so get a job and stop breaking the law!!! And your welcome, I pay taxes so you can sleep in.; Reply to this comment


by jamesluvzshanice August 23, 2010 7:46 PM EDT: The cop was 100% UNJUST In this brutal assault on a civilian woman! I speak of this in my blog. http://unjustcop.blogspot.com/; Reply to this comment


by labwsis July 22, 2010 11:13 AM EDT: Yes, police action is justified. The police was out numbered; was pushed over first.; Reply to this comment


by me-ma2 July 19, 2010 12:14 PM EDT: This is a weak cop, he is human just like we all are, he is weak minded for hitting a woman and weak in strength, because he was struggling to cuff the other woman. He may be a cop but they take that fact and use it to their advantage, there are so many other crimes that needs to be taking care of that are more serious. If a grown person wants to walk through traffic thats on them, the crazy laws this Goverment comes up with!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!; Reply to this comment

by toniw61 July 5, 2010 11:03 PM EDT

I hope she files a lawsuit because she really wasn't a threat and he hit her like she was a man. We will also inform the NAACP, because how can you expect a fair investigation when the police are investigating the police.

Reply to this comment


by Gimmeafb July 8, 2010 8:22 AM EDT: "Really wasn't a threat"? Really now! How was he supposed to know she wasn't going for his gun? I guess you never thought of that, did you? He's just supposed to assume that she wasn't going to? Yeah, that's really smart.

If the NAACP gets involved here that will show them to be a bigger joke than they already are. How about them telling people to step up and take responsibility for their own actions instead of trying to play the race card every chance they get? That hurts their cause more than it helps. Listen to Dr. Cosby sometime. It might wake you up.

by ajsaff June 18, 2010 11:46 PM EDT

By the way, aside from being totally justified in protecting himself from anyone attacking him, this is why the officer is enforcing the law. Wonder why jay-walking citations are not ridiculous in general, or more specifically in this area?----"A Seattle transportation department plan released in 2006 called for Seattle police pedestrian-safety patrols to target jaywalking, particularly near Franklin High and north of South McClellan Street by the Lowe's hardware store.

Between 2002 and 2006 more jaywalkers were hit by vehicles on Rainier Avenue South than in any other corridor in the city.

During that period, 61 pedestrians were struck while jaywalking on Rainier Avenue South -- nearly double the number of accidents on Aurora Avenue North, which had the second highest number of jaywalkers hit with 35, according to Seattle Transportation Department records."

Perhaps we would be all over the police for letting innocent 17 year-olds get struck by motor vehicles. We'd hear that we only let them cross illegally because they are minority kids, and we don't care enough to put a police presence there to protect them.

Reply to this comment


by me-ma2 July 19, 2010 12:03 PM EDT: There are more serious crimes that the law needs to deal with.Thats the pedestrians chose to walk they are grown enough to make that decesion to walk or not, thats a crazy law among many others this crazy Goverment passes.


by RANDYNELSON June 18, 2010 6:17 PM EDT: LXB1, IT'S COMMENTS LIKE THAT, OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT DON'T MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL. WHAT DON'T YOU GET THE TWO FEMALES BROKE THE LAW THEN TRIED SLAPPING THE COP AROUND, AND THE RECORDS SHOW THAT THIS BLACK JUVENILE HAS TRIED TO ASSAULT A DEPUTY SHERIFF IN RECENT PAST. YOU NEED TO BE LOCKED UP IN A PADDED CELL WITH THE SPOILED BLACK GIRLS THAT THINK LAWS OF OUR COUNTRY AND STATES DON'T APPLY. I BET THE LITTLE B!t@# WOULDN'T HAVE TRIED TO HIT A BLACK COP OR WHAT?????; Reply to this comment

by RANDYNELSON June 18, 2010 6:06 PM EDT

SOME OF YOU PEOPLE MAKE ME SICK, GET A CLUE THE GUY IS A COP YOU FOR NO REASON PUT YOUR HANDS ON A COP, AND IN SEATTLE IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO J-WALK- JUVENILES OR ADULTS BLACK OR WHITE, WED. MORN. I HEARD SOME CIVIL LIBERTY UNION WHINERS TALKING ABOUT RACISM THAT IS BULL@#$T THEY WERE BREAKING THE LAW AND AL SHARPTON AND ALL YOU DO-GOODERS WANT TO PULL THE RACISM CARD, NOW THE ACLU AND SHARPTON ARE GOING TO MAKE IT OK FOR BLACK TEENAGERS TO JAY WALK IN SEATTLE,THAT SOUNDS RACIST TO ME .ACLU,SHARPTON,YOU ARE ALL MORONS, YOU'RE WRECKING OUR COUNTRY,NUFF SAID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reply to this comment


by me-ma2 July 19, 2010 12:08 PM EDT: He may be a cop, but he is not God, the Law is over rated. He is human just like you and I, He is just a weak ***** thats all. He could not even cuff the young lady, he was struggling.


by jamesluvzshanice August 23, 2010 8:06 PM EDT: It should be ok for ANYONE to jaywalk you idiot! Pedestrian has the right of way, PERIOD! So with that being said, they should have never been stopped. just view my blog http://unjustcop.blogspot.com/

by koka7472 June 18, 2010 4:37 PM EDT

i thought the police officer was very restrained even though the girl he had a hold of was continuosly struggling and resisting--he could've totally used a lot more force if he wanted to. however, the second girl, who, by the way, was just as big as the officer, if not bigger, assaults the officer. did he know her age? i doubt it! he then punches her just once, which seems to have done the job, and then goes about arresting the first girl. if you continue to watch the video, the second girl continues to be out of control and continues to resist the officer! i hope both girls get charged with obstruction, resisting & assault! maybe a litte time in jail may straighten out their attitudes! usually when it comes to videos like this, i side with the alleged victim...however, in this case, the police officer was totally in the right!

Reply to this comment


by jamesluvzshanice August 23, 2010 8:02 PM EDT: You never side with the victim, that is a front. This is the absolute most unjust police action i have ever seen (next to rodney king) So if you were the type to side with the victim, you wouldve. This woman beater has no place as a police officer and should be in jail for injury to a child (serious felony) Its pigs like this is the reason i call pigs "pigs"


by jamesluvzshanice August 23, 2010 8:03 PM EDT: You never side with the victim, that is a front. This is the absolute most unjust police action i have ever seen (next to rodney king) So if you were the type to side with the victim, you wouldve. This woman beater has no place as a police officer and should be in jail for injury to a child (serious felony) Its pigs like this is the reason i call pigs "pigs" view my blog on this http://unjustcop.blogspot.com/

by crjj71 June 18, 2010 4:17 PM EDT

I agree that the officer was in his rights. Personally I'd rather be punched then maced or tased. My family are cops and mace really hurts I won't even comment on the taser if you'd rather be tased then punched then its because you've never seen anyone get tased.

Reply to this comment


by jamesluvzshanice August 23, 2010 7:59 PM EDT: I've been tased before, Lets just hope for your sake, that you're a weak girl, or maybe a little 12 yr old kid, because being tased aint chit. It just basically paralyses you long enough for police to control you. It doesnt hurt.