Kirkland Police Chief Finds No Excessive Force In Arrest At YMCA

KIRKLAND, WA — Kirkland's police chief has made a final determination on allegations his officers used excessive force and profanity during the arrest of a 14-year-old boy inside the YMCA of Greater Seattle in September. After the incident, the YMCA released video of the arrest and held a press conference condemning the arrest as an "intense and traumatic" use of police force.

Kirkland Police said they had dealt with several reports of the teens causing problems throughout the day, before learning the group had entered the YMCA. The video shows an officer struggling with the 14-year-old in a doorway, then swiftly taking him to the ground. YMCA staff said another officer had pointed a taser at a teen, shoved a staff member, and used profanity.

The YMCA filed a formal complaint with Mayor Penny Sweet and requested a full investigation.

Friday, Chief Cherie Harris and City Manager Kurt Triplett released a final investigative report. The chief's investigation found the officer's use of force was found to meet department policy and training after reviewing witness statements, officer reports, 911 calls, surveillance, and radio traffic. Harris said she also did not believe the incident was motivated by race.

Regarding the complaint of an officer's use of profanity, Harris acknowledged it violated policy and said the officer had been dealt with per procedure. What disciplinary actions that entailed was not immediately released.

In a statement released Friday, the YMCA expressed disappointment with the ruling:

"On behalf of our staff, the young people we serve and Kirkland community members, we are troubled by the results of the investigation. The investigation revealed that the officer involved acted within protocol when he took down a 14-year-old boy, shoved our staff and pointed a service Taser in the face of another teen."

The statement goes on to say the YMCA plans to continue to work with city and police officials to improve outcomes in the future.

According to Kirkland officials, several actions are underway, in addition to continued meetings planned with YMCA leadership in an effort to restore trust.

"There are several actions already underway. Chief Harris has reaffirmed with the department that the principles of “contact and cover” could have resulted in interactions with staff and other teens that might have been different. This incident has already been reviewed and discussed at police command staff meetings and patrol briefings. Officers have provided thoughtful comments and insights on how similar incidents could be handled in the future. One important suggestion we will explore is to create venues for officers to provide police perspectives to the community on how they are trained and the challenges they face in volatile situations. "

Read the complete City of Kirkland statement here.
Read the complete YMCA statement here.
Read the full investigative report here.