Seattle Police Beating Caught on Tape Again

An undercover police officer in Seattle appears to have been caught on tape kicking a teenager in legs, chest and face, reports KIRO-TV in Seattle.

The incident allegedly occurred in October in a convenience store during a roundup of suspects in an area where narcotics officers had been running a sting operation, reports KIRO reporter Chris Halsne.

Halsne said "an unnamed source" gave him the tape.

For months now, SPD has been under fire for its treatment of minorities, and the airing of this videotape is making things worse, Halsne reports.

Watch: The Convenience Store Beating at KIRO-TV
Watch: Latino Man Stomped by SPD Officer Video at KIRO-TV

The incident allegedly occurred around 8:30 p.m. on October 18 after a group of men punched and tried to rob an undercover cop during a phony drug buy, Halsne reports. Two men were immediately taken into custody, but three others ran off.

An unnamed 17-year-old, wearing an orange jacket, and a friend were inside the convenience store when they heard shouts and stepped outside to investigate. The juvenile rushed back into Joe's Mart because a bandana-wearing undercover cop ran at him.

Even though he raised his hands and stopped, the officer threw a big kick to his groin. The young man fell down and got two more hard kicks, one to his chest, another to his face.

Urban League President James Kelly told Halsne after viewing the tape: "It's pretty disturbing. Disgusting. The bottom line is, I'm pretty outraged by it. Because it's been a series of interactions between police and the community of color, starting with the stomping of the Latino gentleman."

Kelly was referring to an incident in early September when an SPD officer was caught on tape telling a Latino suspect he would "beat the (expletive) Mexican piss out of you homey," before stomping on the suspect's head.

In a statement, SPD officials said: "In reviewing the video, questions arose as to the force used in this situation. They promptly decided to place the involved officer, a 10 year veteran, on administrative reassignment to home."

Halsne said the 17-year-old who was beaten in the video had no court records showing a criminal past. Both drug dealing and simple assault show up as juvenile court cases connected to his name. Prosecutors have also charged the young man with attempted robbery, saying he was present in the parking lot the night when the undercover officer was hit in the jaw near the store.

Halsne claims there is videotape evidence to the contrary.