UPDATE: The president of the Seattle Police Officer’s Guild has reviewed the footage and determined the officer’s actions were justified considering the situation.
Seattle PD will do what it takes to bring jaywalkers to justice — even if it means punching one out and instigating an assault investigation.
Ah, the joys of cell phone cameras.
boywithgrenade.org 
While he certainly appears to be in a position to use a reasonable amount of force to bring the girl under control (even though it’s just jaywalking, a victimless crime, she was committing crimes against the officer, including obstruction and possibly assault and/or battery), I don’t think a punch in the face was really the right move. Pepper spray probably should’ve been the answer.
If it were me, though, I think I’d rather be punched in the face.
The officer was being a bit of a jackass for citing jaywalking in that environment, poor tactical choice, compounded by the punch in the face. That said, police officers cannot be manhandled. Period. She’s lucky she did’t get the baton, taser or pepper spray. Clearly, the two women need to be charged with assault on an officer and resisting arrest. The officer could do with a refresher course in the use of force.
The woman assaulted a police officer who was arresting someone, an official legal duty. If the woman has no respect for the law or law enforcement officers, she is the jackass.
Not a bit of sympathy for these girls. The girl in red is being held back by a friend and she breaks away from him ! THEN she runs to the cop and pushes him in the chest as he is trying to arrest the first dumbelle. HE SMACKS HER. She not only deserved, she EARNED IT !
I HOPE A OFFICER PUNCHES ONE OF HIS CHILDREN I THE FACE W A FULL FIST–AND DONT LET HIM BE BLACK,,, THEN LETS SEE JUSTICE,, AND THEY ARE IN WASHINGTON, —WASHINGTON, I WONDER WHAT OUR PRESIDENT WOULD SAY ABOUT SEATTLES FINEST!!! HE NEEDS HIS ASS WHOPPED!
IM SO UPSET THEY JUST KEEP SHOWING IT, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE HOW IT PLAYS OUT! A GROWN MAN, W/A CLOSED FIST! IT DOES NOT COMPARE,,
Many of you act as though the cop turned a minor infraction into a major event, whereas it was the GIRLS who turned a simple ticket into a free-for-all. Please open both your eyes while watching the complete video; that ‘sweet, innocent’, foul-mouthed 17 yr old never stopped resisting arrest for a single second. By the time the 19 yr old ADULT attacked him, the punch was the quickest, easiest method the cop had to protect himself. How many hands do you think he had available? The gathering crowd was hostile, and if any other cops HAD seen what was happening they would have been there already. He was alone. One of those girls could have easily grabbed his gun, and a bullet leaves a gun in a split second. I’m sure he would rather go home to his family than die because he was forced into a fight with a couple of idiots. But he’s a cop and it’s his job to complete the arrest, not let them go because they struggled – or because they were girls – or because they were teens. Give me a break, have you already forgotten the 14 yr old little flowers who kicked the sh*t out of another teen last month, and in front of crowds of people? If a cop assumes that teen girls are helpless, their careers will be fatally short. I can’t believe some of the asinine comments I’ve been reading.
In addition, the 19 yr old was punched for assaulting a police officer, not for jaywalking; nice sound byte though. He should have punched the 17 yr old early in the confrontation, so he could have gotten her cuffed; then he would have had two hands to deal with the second offender. Neither girl was respecting the law and got what they deserved. If the teen felt the jaywalking arrest was incorrect, she could fight it in court. You do not EVER fight a cop. And stop using race as an excuse for bad behavior!
Cheryl – Thanks for your comments…but only one person brought up race. Overall I think this is probably the most civil, reasoned discussion of the event you’ll find on the web.
You are correct babydiscarted, and I owe all an apology. I had been at three different discussion sites by the time I found this one, and was appalled at some of the responses I had read. I must admit that the disgust I felt carried over to this site, without my noticing that the race card had not been used here. Shame on me.
You need Jesus. The facts are two teenage girls caught jaywalking, which every american has done, and a police officer performing his job with excessive force.
You need Jesus, Jake Stichler, Winny, Justin, Jim and all other caucasian children of God really need to open your eyes and stop thinking you all are right all the time. Justice was not served.
If those were my daughters there would be a law suit.
Oh lordy…keep Jesus, I prefer using common sense. “The facts are…” two teenage girls who assaulted a police officer, paid the consequences for their actions. The jaywalking citation is irrelevant and is just your way to minimize their behavior and make the officer out to be the bad guy. They ASSAULTED him! If my daughters acted exactly like those two idiots they would deserve what they got, and I would side with the officer; but, I’m proud to say, my girls WOULD NEVER behave that way! I brought them up to respect authority and to fight any legal disagreements in an appropriate manner. I also educated them as to the meaning of consequences for their actions. People like you do your children a terrible disservice by making excuses for their bad behavior. How will they ever amount to anything?
Uh, no, “whatever,” I do not need your silly religion with it’s silly deities. What you need, however, is to read all the details. The officer had no initial intention of using force. He was going to WRITE THEM A CITATION, and everyone would be on their merry way. Although I disagree with enforcing laws regarding non-crimes (victimless crimes), the reason for the stop itself in this case is almost irrelevant. The girls initiated force, and anybody with a little common friggin sense knows that if you fight a cop, s/he’s going to fight back harder. And that’s all it comes down to. It could be a citation for jaywalking, it could be a speeding ticket, it could be a burglary. You fight a cop, they’re going to take you down one way or another.