SEATTLE — "Horrified and disturbed" is how Seattle’s Community Police Commission (CPC) is reacting to video that recently surfaced from a police department break room.
On Wednesday, the CPC called on police Chief Adrian Diaz to answer questions about it. They made it clear that they found items seen in the video to be a display of disrespect. Those items included a mock tombstone for a man killed in an officer involved shooting.
On January 2, 2021, the video was captured inside Seattle Police Department's East Precinct. It shows, above a microwave, a mock tombstone for a Black man who had exchanged gunfire with officers responding to a robbery. Three officers were hurt.
"Damarius Butts was killed in an SPD shooting in 2017. There was also a Black Lives Matter protest sign with an apparent MAGA hat hanging from it. And a Trump 2020 flag hanging from the wall,” said Joel Merkel, a CPC co-chair.
The body camera footage that came to light more than a week ago was the focus at a Wednesday morning meeting that Stephanie Butts, the mother of Damarius Butts, was able to attend virtually.
"I cannot explain the pain and the anger that I felt. It was very hurtful to know that SPD joked about killing my son,” Butts said.
Her words were heard by Chief Diaz, who is acknowledged the damage done.
"It created mistrust, but the department is committed to making it right, and I am committed to making it right,” said Diaz.
"What this video does for me is say that yes, SPD is a hostile work environment,” said Rev. Patricia Hunter, a CPC co-chair. "My question was who was in charge? And why was that sign not taken down? How did that tombstone, that mock tombstone, get in that room?"
"I do not understand why this tombstone was allowed to stay there for such a long time. I want to know why this happened; I want to know why it was allowed to continue,” Butts said.
Diaz responded, "I also want those answers. That is the reason why we are working with the Office of Police Accountability to get those answers to see who needs to be held accountable."
The Office of Police Accountability is handing the investigation. Chief Diaz also ordered an inspection of all department precincts to ensure décor meets the department’s standards and values.