Seattle Police Jaywalking Stops Often Turn Ugly

(CBS/ AP)  Seattle police monitors have been warning for years that jaywalking stops often escalate into confrontations with police.

An officer struggling with two jaywalkers Monday punched one of them, and a video of the fight led civil rights groups to accuse police of an overreaction.

In an audit last year, the Office of Professional Accountability said complaints against police often originated with a jaywalker refusing an officer's order to stop. The office made a similar finding in 2007.

Police are conducting an internal review. Acting Deputy Police Chief Nick Metz said Tuesday that the department's civilian-led Office of Professional Accountability is investigating the actions of Officer Ian P. Walsh, 39, the officer involved in the incident.

Cop Punches Woman: What Really Happened?
Seattle Cop Punches Teen in Face; Seen on Video

The video, shot with a cell phone, shows 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.

Metz said the two teens in the video bear much of the responsibility for not cooperating and resisting arrest.

CBS affiliate KIRO-TV found court records showing Levias has been arrested for assaulting a police officer before. According to the documents, Levias kicked a King County Sheriff's deputy in the stomach while she resisted arrest at the Ruth Dykeman Center in Burien.

Walsh has been temporarily re-assigned.

To see the incident, click on the video below of a report by Tarar Mergener, introduced by "Early Show" newsreader Chris Wragge:


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[Sicuras]

You all better look at this videa real close. Right around 1:33-1:45 there is a black dude who walks up behind the police officer. The black dude is wearing a black jacket and a black hat with little white swishes on it. In his had he is holding a gun. YES a gun. this could have turned into a deadly situation all over a citation for jaywalking. The officer did a great job.

[m60wall]

get billy club out and get a few more

[bounder1111]

She assaulted a police officer and deserved everything that she got. I hope that she got arrested and is serving time in a jail. Thank you Mr. Police officer. We back up our police 100%. Criminals deserve jail time.

[skarrzpop]

The major cities in the United States make the majority of their money from parking tickets and jaywalking!!! If you try to eliminate "jaywalking" fines then you might as well cut your police force in half...how many of you are willing to do that?...I have lived in Seattle and San Diego and they inforce "jaywalking" rigidly! THANK YOU POLICE. There wasnt a week that went by back in San Diego when i lived there from 89-2000, that at least one person wasnt hit & killed by a car while "jaywalking"...

[skarrzpop]

Its very simple...If you TOUCH a person without their permission it's called ASSAULT!!!! I cant imagine anyone with good common sense "assaulting" a cop!! That's just STUPID!! She deserves any and everything that happened to her!!!! HURRAY FOR SEATTLE COPS!!! Seattle University Class of 86!!!

[barbaram99]

I live in Seattle..I am a sp needs person..Legally blind from birth..The white cane law..I was taught cane travel in Maine..Larry, buster's master made good points..The walk lights are there for ye that can see them..Yet when out I have my cane with me that tell others of my blindness..Seattle is wall to wall people down town..Rage is a problem..I can't hear that well.The cop had to be sure no one get access to his/her side arm..I travel with my sighted roommate as we walk and take the bus..Men use their fists..Girls bi*cth slap. As a blind person I can't see to hit or slap..People think the cop was wrong..Girls today are more apt to be meam and mouthy..I get upset when a person is maced in the eyes..I would not want it in my eyes.. I have very little sight in one eye..I lost the sight I had in one eye when slapped in the eye by a foster parent years ago. The only problem I have is how can I tell if the person a cop when I can't see them or when they don't tell me they are..I have been abused by males..In our apt the cops are told of my blindness and they can see my hands palms out as I hold my hands that way as they have eyes that work. I was floored when saw the visuals on my TV..That girl shoved a cop.. People say don't touch a cop ..They are right..I use sighted guide and will ask for the seeing person's arm when needede.The seeing are luckky..That cop could have tasered her..Yet with persons with health problems it could kill them..I am just layperson..Some think the cop should not have hit her..He had to know the pressurepoints and hitting one of them would drop her. The girl was wrong..

[Simoncode]

There is a school at the interesection. I work in the area and have had numerous cases where kids walk across the busy intersection without disregard for the cars around them. It must be "cool" for them to show off how they can do it apparently unscathed. I've had one where 3 kids started menacing me when they walked in front of my car and I honked. Then they slowly walked off talking trash. Its no wonder they show the same disrespect for law enforcement.

It's just not about jaywalking. I'm glad the school officals requested the Seattle Police address this issue before a child gets seriously hurt or killed playing chicken with cars. Their "attitude" can't save them.

Shame on the folks and media making it something it isn't.

[linfinster]

He should have punched the other one too. Of course that wasn't the correct response, I didn't see the video, my computer isn't working right .. but I'm pretty sure there are protocols for such actions that he didn't follow.

[wjksea]

Hitting a police office in most cases is an assault on civilized society. She was breaking the law, endangering others as well as herself. There are a whole lot of people who never had parents and don't understand the importance of laws and limits.

[djberson]

The problem is most cops are uncivilized

[consciousnes]

Good Ol Media on the side of the criminals again.
Woman with prior arrest for assulting a police officer gets a retalitory punch for assulting another police officer. How many times do police officers have to put up with someone hitting them before they are allowed to defend themselves?

[wjksea]

70 x 7 ?