Seattle Police Face Complaint Over Use of Excessive Force against Black Muslim Women

IQNA – A civil rights group has submitted a formal complaint to the Seattle Office of Police Accountability, alleging that officers from the Seattle Police Department (SPD) used excessive force during a February 4 encounter involving two Black Muslim women.

According to a statement by Washington chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the incident began when a 28-year-old woman and her 20-year-old sister parked in a downtown Seattle garage and were followed closely by another vehicle.

The driver of that car allegedly behaved aggressively, including honking and confronting them both at their car and near an elevator. One of the women wears a hijab.

CAIR reported that upon returning to their vehicle after lunch, the sisters were approached by SPD officers who pointed guns and flashlights at them. The women were detained, and one was tackled and later sought emergency medical care for her injuries. 

The police response was reportedly triggered by a false claim from the other driver, who alleged that one of the women had used a slur and threatened him with a firearm. CAIR stated that surveillance footage disproved any presence of a weapon.

In the complaint, CAIR asserted that officers failed to employ de-escalation strategies and overlooked indicators of possible racial and religious bias, stating: “In addition to neglecting to use de-escalation tactics and using excessive force, SPD did not appropriately identify and document the potential bias against the two women...”

"This situation has caused my sister and me to have very traumatic flashbacks and a fear of even leaving the house," one of the women said in a press release. "It is very unfortunate that the Seattle Police Department treated us so inhumanely just because a White man made a phone call about us that was all a lie. I want SPD to take corrective measures so that this will not happen to people like me and my sister in the future."

Imraan Siddiqi, CAIR-WA's Executive Director, said, "It is especially troubling to see this alleged excessive use of force, which can have a lasting negative impact on the sisters who were targeted. We call on the City of Seattle to seek accountability from those who reportedly targeted these women and to enact measures to ensure this never happens again."

Source: Agencies