In the midst of all this charming Trayvon Martin discussion, it's been easy to forget one key law of the universe - cops aren't crazy about minorities, either. This is rarely so true as it is in Seattle, where a string of violent incidents culminating in the shooting death of a homeless Native American wood carver (translation: he was carrying a knife), recently prompted a federal review by the Justice Department, fast becoming the central heroes of this blog.
The DOJ concluded that the Seattle PD was improperly training and supervising its officers with regard to minor offenses--like being black in the vicinity of a police station, or lying prone on the ground in the vicinity of a crime scene--and how not to thoroughly beat people when confronted with such situations.
Well, now Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn has stepped in, and today announced a series of twenty escalation-countering reforms to be implemented in the future, including bold, outside-the-box ideas like not pepper spraying people who aren't attacking you.
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