Did the Mill Creek Police go too far in chasing down a teenager? A recent lawsuit claims yes. The lawsuit specifically alleges that police exceeded their authority by intercepting a teenager on a minibike. The complaint alleges that an officer cut in front of the boy causing an unavoidable collision, injuring the young lad. The suit further alleges the officers changed the call from a ‘nuisance’ dilemma to an ‘elude’ type situation, thus creating a basis for the officer’s actions in attempting to wrangle up the teenager. After the accident, the complaint postulates the officer was rough with the boy, who was bleeding and crying, by jerking him up off the ground and twisting his arm, all while making rude comments. Finally, the complaint alleges a bout of potential racism because the teenager is ‘half-black’. In all, the claim is that the actions by the Mill Creek Police were excessive and amounted to assault, battery, negligence, and false arrest all related to improper training.
The real issue at play is whether the police had a right to pursue the teenager in this particular instance. Vehicle pursuits in Washington state are specifically governed by Initiative 2113, which allow police to chase suspects if there is reasonable suspicion that a person has violated the law. The original call of ‘nuisance’ doesn’t meet that standard, but felony eluding does. So, did the Mill Creek Police try to cover up their wrongdoing by changing the call response to ‘felony eluding’? This suit will likely iron that issue out. If the answer is ‘yes’, the city of Mill Creek could owe the youngster quite a bit of proverbial dough, much to the City’s chagrin.
If you or a loved one is in a bind as a result of a criminal allegation, immediately contact a Seattle Criminal Attorney. A Seattle Criminal Defense Attorney is not going to judge you and understands that everyone makes mistakes. Hiring a Seattle Criminal Lawyer to help can – at a minimum – reduce penalties and can help direct people on how to best deal with their criminal charge, and sometimes even get them dismissed. So, it should go without saying that someone cited for a crime should hire a qualified Seattle criminal lawyer as soon as possible. Criminal charges can cause havoc on a person’s personal and professional life. Anyone charged with a criminal case in Washington State should immediately seek the assistance of a seasoned Seattle Criminal Lawyer. SQ Attorneys can be reached at (425) 359-3791 and/or (206) 441-0900.
