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News & ArtsWednesday, March 11, 2009
City SPD Officer Receives Additional Training After Dispute With Cyclist
Posted by Jonah Spangenthal-Lee on Wed, Mar 11, 2009 at 3:08 PM
A Seattle Police officer has been ordered to undergo additional training after the officer got into an altercation with a cyclist in West Seattle last June.
According to a report by the Office of Professional Accountability—the Seattle Police Department's internal investigation unit—on June 17th, a man and a woman were riding tandem bicycle along Alki when, according to the man's OPA complaint, Officer Michael Renner pulled his patrol car in to traffic, almost hitting the cyclists. The man shouted at Renner, who pullled the cyclists over.
The man told OPA investigators that Officer Renner then proceeded to scream at and "chest bump" the man down the sidewalk, while threatening to handcuff and arrest him. "[Renner was] getting ready to push me into the sidewalk, put handcuffs on me," the man told investigators. "Something to the effect of that it was gonna cost me $10,000 to get out of this predicament." Officer Renner denied "chest bumping" the man and the OPA was not able to determine the level of physical contact made during the incident.
Audio recording equipment in Renner's patrol car also caught him telling the man that "usually most people who do get up in my face and yell, they end up on the ground, bloody."
When investigators asked Renner why he'd threatened the man, he told them "I was mad. [T]here's the honest answer, I was mad."
OPA documents say Renner, an eight-year veteran in the department, was ordered to receive additional training on "communicating effectively in tense situations" and was given a 3 day suspension which, documents say, is being "held in abeyance."
In November, I wrote about allegations of anti-bike bias in the department. You can find that story here.
2
fuck the police. id rather call critical mass than the fucking cops when i need help. at least bicycles know how it is and have the balls to fight crime instead of eat donuts and shoot kids
4
It just seems kind of sad to me that in a situation like this, nothing happens because there is no proof that wrongdoing has occurred. This cop probably felt like he could do and say what he wanted because if it came down to it, it would be a he said/she said sort of thing, and he would get the benefit of the doubt.
Best to use a cell to video any questionable interaction with police that you are involved with or (more practically) that you are witness to. We should think of it as a good samaritan-type thing to video the scene when someone is potentially being harassed by police.
Best to use a cell to video any questionable interaction with police that you are involved with or (more practically) that you are witness to. We should think of it as a good samaritan-type thing to video the scene when someone is potentially being harassed by police.
6
Best to use a cell to video any questionable interaction with police that you are involved with or (more practically) that you are witness to. We should think of it as a good samaritan-type thing to video the scene when someone is potentially being harassed by police.
The BART cop that shot the guy in the back will still walk.
The BART cop that shot the guy in the back will still walk.
8
This cop is a fucking pussy if he considers getting yelled at by an Alki couple on a bicycle built for two a "tense situation". I've had tenser situations at a kitten show.
9
talk about a slap on the wrist, another fine example of our broken justice system. This man should've been suspended for a minimum of a month and moved to the bike patrol when he returned. Let alone sent to classes to learn how to control himself in stressfull situations. Sounds to me like the bitch needs to go back to being mall security.
10
Of course the bicyclist is telling the complete truth. Of course the police officer is lying. Why should we give the police the benefit of doubt in these cases? They're only interested in beating people up and busting black people. They have no interest in serving the general public.
Sounds like the system worked in this case. The police officer was held to a higher standard, as he should be. He lost his temper and will be punished for it.
Let's remember, the bicyclist also lost his temper. He will not suffer through humiliating remedial training, nor will his career be marred by this incident. He has the right to hold the police officer liable in civil court if he believes he's truly been harmed.
Sounds like the system worked in this case. The police officer was held to a higher standard, as he should be. He lost his temper and will be punished for it.
Let's remember, the bicyclist also lost his temper. He will not suffer through humiliating remedial training, nor will his career be marred by this incident. He has the right to hold the police officer liable in civil court if he believes he's truly been harmed.
11
it is strange how easily some police officers seem to lose their temper. yeah -- this does not sound like a tense situation, and the cop admitted he lost his temper.
i get it, we almost all get angry when we are yelled at, but i expect a little more from a police officer. and if this cyclist had done anything the cop could give a ticket for, there would likely have been a ticket issued.
it doesn't take more than one situation like this to cause a normal person to change from believing police always tell the truth to believing that maybe they give their testimony in a way that paints them in a better light -- for good reasons or bad.
i get it, we almost all get angry when we are yelled at, but i expect a little more from a police officer. and if this cyclist had done anything the cop could give a ticket for, there would likely have been a ticket issued.
it doesn't take more than one situation like this to cause a normal person to change from believing police always tell the truth to believing that maybe they give their testimony in a way that paints them in a better light -- for good reasons or bad.
13
six shooter:
the police officer admitted he lost his temper, but there still is a he said/he said regarding the other more serious parts of the complaint.
of course we need to listen to both sides and determine what seems like the most likely version of events. or are you suggesting cops should be allowed to threaten people who did nothing wrong?
the police officer admitted he lost his temper, but there still is a he said/he said regarding the other more serious parts of the complaint.
of course we need to listen to both sides and determine what seems like the most likely version of events. or are you suggesting cops should be allowed to threaten people who did nothing wrong?
14
i'd rather deal with an armed criminal than an officer of the law any day. at least with a criminal you can legally fight back.
15
just like to add: if the cyclist was in the cops face and yelling, that would be immature and unfortunate... but cops should know how to respond to that. i'm okay if they raise their voices in response... but an implied threat? no okay.
16
Couples on Tandems = Big Trouble. I would feel pretty threatened myself. Just the thought... scary! Anyway.... "Officer Michael Renner" - got it.
17
Infrequent @15 --
Agreed.
This guy made a mistake and will be punished for it. He tarnished the reputation of his fellow officers. He acted unprofessionally.
Good thing there's an audio recording which documents exactly what happened. Good thing there's a review board empowered to issue opinions on these conflicts.
The system, in this case, worked.
Agreed.
This guy made a mistake and will be punished for it. He tarnished the reputation of his fellow officers. He acted unprofessionally.
Good thing there's an audio recording which documents exactly what happened. Good thing there's a review board empowered to issue opinions on these conflicts.
The system, in this case, worked.
18
@ 10 well the oversite committee agreed with the cyclist, AND his own damn car backed up the cyclist so that should shut up the smug "poor picked on jonnylaw" comments, and the system didnt work in this situation, its just serving as a pacifier for the community. He wasn't held to a higher standard, a higher standard would've been a punishment that actually HARMS his career, not gives him something to brag about in the locker room to his other asshat compatriots. Giving him a long weekend and a vacation in a classroom is hardly punishment.
YOU need to remember I dont pay my taxes to keep cyclist from getting pissed at cops that almost run them down when they are legally traveling a lane. I pay my taxes to keep cops AKA PEACE OFFICERS at large to fight crime not incite it.
YOU need to remember I dont pay my taxes to keep cyclist from getting pissed at cops that almost run them down when they are legally traveling a lane. I pay my taxes to keep cops AKA PEACE OFFICERS at large to fight crime not incite it.
19
What other job can you physically chest bump people and threaten you will make them bloody but as a cop? I know they are not all like this but when there is evidence of threatening assault and the only punishment is 3 days of training it is hard to be empathetic for the good cops. Why is the oversight board not filled with community members instead of cops. The current system obviously does not work.
20
Wouldn't it be far more effective to sentence the cop to commute to work only by bike for a period of not less than one year?
Then he'd get why his actions were so wrong.
Plus ... he'd be more physically fit.
Then he'd get why his actions were so wrong.
Plus ... he'd be more physically fit.
21
@19: Right. I feel like way too many cops are willing to either tolerate this in their co-workers, and even actively work to cover their asses. The "just a few bad apples" argument loses a lot of weight when you see the reluctance which departments seem to have about tossing the bad apples.
And, yes, I'm happy to give individual cops the benefit of the doubt in any particular case, but my point still stands on the larger issue: there are *so* many stories of this kind of thing happening, and in recent years, a lot of it's on videotape. The problem isn't one incident where the cop gets off lightly. It's that this sort of behavior is endemic to law enforcement culture.
And, yes, I'm happy to give individual cops the benefit of the doubt in any particular case, but my point still stands on the larger issue: there are *so* many stories of this kind of thing happening, and in recent years, a lot of it's on videotape. The problem isn't one incident where the cop gets off lightly. It's that this sort of behavior is endemic to law enforcement culture.
24
I've tended to be on the side of 'benefit of the doubt' for the police. But there have just been too many incidents where something relatively minor escalates rapidly to firing the Taser, beatings, and the Oscar Grant deal in Oakland on BART.
CBC has had quite a bit on the guy who was Tasered in the international customs area at Vancouver airport. Talk about a total clusterfuck. From the bits and pieces of testimony I've heard, nobody looks very good.
CBC has had quite a bit on the guy who was Tasered in the international customs area at Vancouver airport. Talk about a total clusterfuck. From the bits and pieces of testimony I've heard, nobody looks very good.
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