SEATTLE — It’s been nearly a week since a Seattle Police Department (SPD) officer was placed on administrative leave for reportedly making racist comments to his Asian neighbor.
The attorney representing the woman on the receiving end of the comments said her client is brave for coming forward, but fear continues as she is still living next door to the officer.
Audio obtained from a February court proceeding depicts an SPD officer reportedly hurling a racial slur at his neighbor a year ago, while the officer was off-duty.
“He used a racial slur twice. He also called her a sexist slur and also very concerningly, he accused her falsely and told her that she was going to jail,” said Marie Aglion, the woman's attorney.
KING 5 reached out to the involved officer for comment and did not hear back.
Aglion’s client did not want to be identified. The attorney got involved in the case last year after her client had difficulty filing for a protection order due to a language barrier.
“The more I dug into the facts, the more I realized that there was a situation that was really concerning, that involved abuse of power, and that she was being actively harmed,” Aglion said.
Aglion’s client lives in a Kenmore condo, caring for her elderly and blind uncle. She said the situation escalated after her client requested the officer and his wife keep their dog leashed in common areas.
“She thought she would try to avoid being the subject of more abuse and verbal attacks simply by being out of the picture and making herself invisible and that didn't work,” Aglion said.
The Chinese Information and Service Center (CISC) recently filed a bias complaint with the Office of Police Accountability (OPA).
Last Friday morning, the audio surfaced, first published by The Stranger. By Friday afternoon, Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz apologized on behalf of the entire department and put the officer on administrative leave.
“It's only because there's proof that it's getting the attention that it's getting. There are many instances where there's not proof and you have to wonder about the despair of people who report or who are afraid to report because they don't have proof,” Aglion said.
Diaz also directed his staff to investigate the officer’s arrest and investigation history. OPA’s investigation could take three months before it reports its findings to the police chief.
“This is her home. It has affected every aspect of her life, there was no aspect of her life that's been unaffected by these events,” Aglion said.
Aglion said she hopes her client's courage to come forward to protect herself will help others.
“I don't believe that abuses of authority are inevitable," Aglion said. "They won't happen if they're not tolerated."