[ad_1]
SEATTLE (AP) — A Seattle police officer has been fired for hurling racist and sexist insults at a Chinese neighbor while off-duty in 2022, according to local media reports.
Officer Burton Hill was fired in May, The Seattle Times reported.
The move came in response to a dispute between Hill and his neighbor, Jin-Jen, over the disposal of dog bones in their suburban Seattle neighborhood.
The Seattle police internal investigations office recommended a range of disciplinary actions, from a 30-day suspension to termination. Police spokesman Eric Muñoz said Hill was fired on May 2 by then-Police Chief Adrian Diaz.
The Associated Press was unable to reach Hill for comment.
The former police chief himself was fired by Mayor Bruce Harrell in late May over claims that Diaz’s police force was discriminatory and hostile toward women and people of color. Diaz has categorically denied the allegations.
An audio recording of the argument between Hill and King cited in the police report, which was originally published by The Stranger, includes Hill threatening and insulting King and accusing her of throwing food scraps that Hill’s dog tried to eat.
In the audio provided to police agencies by the China Information and Service Center, Hill used derogatory terms for women and Asians and repeatedly called Kim “stupid.” At one point he even told him “you’re going to jail.”
Interior Police Chief Gino Bates Jr. upheld two of the three charges against Hill, involving police unprofessionalism and bias. The third charge, involving using police power for personal gain, has not been completed. The police department’s report was released this month.
The Seattle Times, the Seattle Police Union and the internal police agency did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Michael Itti, executive director of the China Information and Service Center, which launched an anti-bias program in 2020 to combat anti-Asian attitudes, said King “showed great courage” in filing the complaint against Hill. Itti said many people involved in his group were pleased with the outcome.
“They want to know if the police department is upholding its professional values,” Eti said.
According to the investigation, Hill told investigators after listening to the recording, “Yeah, it sounds like me saying it,” but he also said, “You shouldn’t say those words… the thought of me saying that to her.”
[ad_2]
Source link
