As the City continues to wrangle over budget priorities, both Mayor Bruce Harrell and Seattle City Council Budget Chair Dan Strauss agree that the City can never spend too much money on cops. Strauss’s recent budget proposal even upped the ante on Harrell, suggesting that the Mayor’s $62 million budget increase for the Seattle Police Department (SPD) wasn’t enough, and adding another $10 million on top of that. by Ashley Nerbovig

As the City continues to wrangle over budget priorities, both Mayor Bruce Harrell and Seattle City Council Budget Chair Dan Strauss agree that the City can never spend too much money on cops. Strauss’s recent budget proposal even upped the ante on Harrell, suggesting that the Mayor’s $62 million budget increase for the Seattle Police Department (SPD) wasn’t enough, and adding another $10 million on top of that.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the SPD officers who earn six figure salaries to handcuff people in mental health crises, drive almost four times the speed limit, and use a car to stop a man on a bike.

Bringing a Bike to a Car Fight

Case #2023OPA-0291

First up, we have Crisis Response Squad Officer Albert Khandzhayan who on July 4, 2023, responded to a call about an alleged domestic violence assault. A witness spotted the suspect hop on a bike and peddle away from the scene. An officer on scene asked for officers to check the area to try to find the man. Khandzhayan spotted the man at a bus stop on his bike and tried to speak to him, at which point the man hopped back on his bike and ran from the officers. Khandzhayan followed the man in his patrol car, using his PA system to order the man to stop. The man ignored the order. Khandzhayan told Office of Police Accountability (OPA) investigators that the man rode recklessly, and he believed could endanger himself or others. So, Khandzhayan moved his patrol car out in front of the man. The man said he was traveling at 20 miles per hour at the time, and that Khandzhayan sideswiped him when he pulled his patrol car in close, causing the man to flip off his bike, and fall hard enough to knock the wind out of him. Khandzhayan denied hitting the man. The man complained of sore ribs, but doctors found no noticeable injuries.

OPA found Khandzhayan’s use of force reasonable and noted that SPD has no policy on how to handle people trying to elude cops on bikes. In 2023, the City paid Khandzhayan a salary of $150,000.

 

Cop Laughs at Man in Crisis

Case #2024OPA-0014

Next up, we have SPD North Precinct Officer Derek Norton who on January 3 responded to a call about a man reportedly experiencing a mental health crisis. Norton and Officer Kieran Barton checked on the man at about 3:30 am and a witness told officers the man posed no harm to anyone and they expected mental health professionals to arrive later. However, at 8 am, SPD returned to the building for another call about the man. A case manager asked officers to intervene because the man seemed escalated, evidenced by his banging on the door and breaking things. Barton, Norton, as well as Officer Jacklyn Ferver, and a fourth unnamed officer, decided to involuntarily commit the man.

As officers approached the man’s door, Barton brought out his taser and the unnamed officer unholstered his gun, though according to the OPA report, neither officer pointed their weapons at the man. Barton knocked on the man’s door, and the man opened it completely naked. The man complied with Barton’s order to step out and allowed the cops to handcuff him. A witness asked the officers to put clothes on the man before they escorted him out, and Ferver wrapped a jacket around the man’s waist.

As Norton and Ferver escorted the man out of the building, Norton asked Ferver, a woman officer who was a student at the time, “You gonna search him?” Norton laughed. He asked her again, “You wanna search him?” Norton laughed again, and Ferver didn’t respond.

Norton’s comment earned him a written reprimand for unprofessional behavior. Norton argued he intended to just lighten the mood, but OPA investigators argued that Norton chose to lighten the mood at the expense of a nearly naked, handcuffed man, reportedly experiencing a mental health crisis, who officers were escorting to a patrol car in public in broad daylight. The City paid Norton a salary of $166,000 in 2023 to handle these situations with this level of sensitivity.

 

Bad Driver Roundup

Case #2024OPA-0080

Finally, we have SPD Officers Jessica Chandler and Christian Lara who on February 12, 2024 responded to a call about a woman allegedly hurting her family and attempting suicide. Nothing especially notable about the call except that Chandler texted from her personal phone as she drove to the scene and Lara drove 80mph in a 25mph zone. The OPA sent both possible policy violations to each officer’s chain of command. In 2023, Chandler earned a salary of more than $148,000, and Lara earned $168,000. Lara no longer works for SPD.