Posted on January 16, 2015

While Pursuing Black Suspect, White Officer Uses a Term That Gets Her Suspended Without Pay

Jason Howerton, The Blaze, January 15, 2015

A white Seattle police officer was suspended without pay for 15 days for using what the department determined to be a racial slur during her pursuit of a black domestic violence suspect in October 2013.

Police dash cam video captured Seattle police officer Jennifer Hunt chasing the suspect through downtown Seattle and then yelling at the 32-year-old man, “You’re gonna get your ass shot, boy!”

An internal investigation was reportedly launched after Hunt’s superiors watched the video. Regarding the word “boy,” Seattle PD Sgt. George Davisson said he “expressed deep concern about her word choice,” according to an internal memo obtained by KIRO-TV.

“I explained that regardless how she intended the comment to be taken or what she meant to say, this comment would undoubtedly be viewed in a negative context with police chasing a black male in the streets of Seattle,” he said.

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