The following are complaints received by the ombudsman and forwarded to the Internal Affairs Division of the Spokane Police Department for investigation in 2017.
| Case # | Complaint Description | Disposition |
|---|---|---|
| OPO: 17-1 | An Inadequate Response complaint was received by OPO via walk in. Citizen claims home was raided by the SWAT team, evidence taken, but no arrest made and SPD has refused to investigate. | Received: 1/6/2017
District: 1 Status: Inquiry Ombudsman Findings: Certified Chief's Findings: N/A Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-2 | An Unlawful/Improper arrest complaint was received by OPO via web form. Citizen alleges being wrongfully arrested at STA bus plaza. | Received: 1/10/2017
District: 2 Status: Completed Ombudsman Findings: Certified Chief's Findings: Exonerated / Unfounded Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-3 | An Inadequate Response complaint was received by OPO via web form. Citizen alleges SPD refused to assist landlord in removing squatters. | Received: 12/15/2016
District: 1 Status: Completed Ombudsman Findings: Certified Chief's Findings: Exonerated Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-4 | A Harassment and Abuse of Authority complaint was received by OPO via intake. Citizen alleges being harassed by SPD officer over a traffic accident that occurred 5 days prior. | Received: 2/7/2017
District: 2 Status: Mediated Ombudsman Findings: N/A Chief's Findings: N/A Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-5 | A Demeanor, Harassment, and Biased Policing complaint was received by the OPO via email. Citizen alleges an officer made false accusations against the citizen, the officer did not look at evidence on his person, and did not provide notice of reason for arrest. | Received: 2/9/2017
District: 3 Status: Administratively Suspended Ombudsman Findings: Concur Chief's Findings: N/A Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-6 | A Demeanor complaint was received by the OPO via email. Citizen was pulled over because their license plate and last name matched that of a person with the same last name with a warrant issued for arrest. Citizen alleges being wrongfully stopped and the officer's demeanor was combative. | Received: 2/20/2017
District: 2 Status: Completed Ombudsman Findings: Certified Chief's Findings: Sustained / Unfounded / Sustained Officer Discipline: Letter of Reprimand / Training |
| OPO: 17-7 | An Inadequate Response complaint was received by the OPO via email. Citizen alleges the police report following an incident contained inaccurate statements. Further, citizen claims to have contacted police on several occasions to try and remedy mistakes on report but has seen no changes. | Received: 2/27/2017
District: 3 Status: Inquiry Ombudsman Findings: Certified Chief's Findings: N/A Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-8 | A Negligent Driving complaint was received by the OPO via email. Citizen was upset by seeing two units allegedly traveling at extremely high speeds. Citizen is concerned for the safety of others. | Received: 3/2/2017
District: 2 Status: Administratively Suspended Ombudsman Findings: Concur Chief's Findings: N/A Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-9 | An Inadequate Response complaint was received by the OPO via web form. Citizen complainant is the widow of a deceased male. The deceased's death was investigated by SPD and deemed an accident. The investigation was suspended pending additional information within 1 year from the complainant's filing of this complaint. The complainant disagrees with the primary investigator's determination and SPD's refusal to reopen the case. | Received: 3/3/2017
District: 3 Status: Closed as Inquiry Ombudsman Findings: Concur Chief's Findings: N/A Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-10 | A Demeanor and Harassment complaint was received by the OPO via web form. Complainant encountered 2 officers. The complainant perceived one officer to have an attitude toward him during their interaction and based on that interaction, believes the officer will continue to harass him in the future. | Received: 3/14/2017
District: 1 Status: Completed Ombudsman Findings: Certified Chief's Findings: Exonerated / Unfounded Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-11 | An Inadequate Response complaint was received by the OPO via intake. Citizen alleges due to the officer's inadequate response, the legal issues the citizen faces has escalated. The citizen also brings several inadequate response complaints related to the same property implicated in a property nuisance issue. | Received: 3/22/2017
District: 3 Status: Administratively Suspended Ombudsman Findings: Concur Chief's Findings: N/A Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-12 | An Unlawful/Improper arrest complaint was generated through an IA complaint. | Received: 3/21/2017
District: 2 Status: Inquiry Ombudsman Findings: Certified Chief's Findings: N/A Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-13 | An Inadequate Response complaint was received by the OPO via intake. Citizen alleges an officer allowed a former roommate entry into the citizen's home using "any reasonable means." The former roommate proceeded to break and enter into the citizen's home causing property damage. | Received: 4/4/2017
District: 3 Status: Completed Ombudsman Findings: Certified Chief's Findings: Exonerated Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-14 | An Improper Driving complaint was received by the OPO via web form. Citizen reported seeing an officer speeding and driving through a red light without sirens. | Received: 4/17/2017
District: 3 Status: Completed Ombudsman Findings: Certified Chief's Findings: Not Sustained Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-15 | An Inadequate Response complaint was received by the OPO via web form. Citizen alleges being beat up by a neighbor and police did nothing in response to this incident. | Received: 3/28/2017
District: 2 Status: Completed Ombudsman Findings: Certified Chief's Findings: Unfounded / Exonerated Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-16 | An Inadequate Response complaint was received by the OPO via intake. Citizen has experienced bugging of an electronic device and stalking for the past 5 years. SPD has declined to look into the matter due to a lack of time and funding. Complainant further alleges SPD made disparaging comments on the complainant's mental health. | Received: 4/26/2017
District: N/A Status: Inquiry Ombudsman Findings: Certified Chief's Findings: N/A Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-17 | A Harassment complaint was received by the OPO via intake. Citizen alleges SPD officers showed up to the citizen's home to enforce a Veteran's Administration related matter when SPD should not enforce VA related matters. Citizen further alleges officers viewed a posted "No Trespassing" sign but an officer denied seeing the sign. | Received: 5/18/2017
District: 2 Status: Inquiry Ombudsman Findings: Certified Chief's Findings: N/A Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-18 | A Harassment and Biased Policing complaint was received by the OPO via USPS. Citizen called for police services following an ongoing dispute with a neighbor. Citizen makes numerous allegations of the officer's bias in favor of the neighbor and inadequate response. | Received: 6/9/2017
District: 3 Status: Completed Ombudsman Findings: Certified Chief's Findings: Unfounded Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-19 | A Racial Profiling complaint was received by the OPO via intake. Citizen alleges being profiled and stalked by an officer. | Received: 8/15/2017
District: 2 Status: Closed Ombudsman Findings: Certified Chief's Findings: Exonerated / Unfounded Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-20 | A Demeanor and Harassment complaint was received by the OPO via web form. Citizen alleges the officer claimed to know where the citizen lived, what car the citizen drove, and would give the citizen a DUI every time. Citizen asserts the citizen has no driver's license or insurance due to previous health concerns. | Received: 8/21/2017
District: 1 Status: Mediated Ombudsman Findings: N/A Chief's Findings: N/A Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-21 | An Unlawful Detention complaint was received by the OPO via email. Citizen alleges being unlawfully detained for a speeding violation when the officer's method of measuring speed was unusual/unreliable. Furthermore, the citizen alleges operating a vehicle with a governance that does not allow the vehicle over 60mph, the speed limit. Thus it is not possible the citizen was speeding. | Received: 8/18/2017
District: 2 Status: Inquiry Ombudsman Findings: Certified Chief's Findings: N/A Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-22 | An Unlawful Detention complaint was received by the OPO via email. The complainant reported Sacred Heart Medical Center to the Department of Health for its practices in the Emergency Room. The email was forwarded to SPD. Complainant alleges an officer locked down the hospital, sent 5 squad cars to the citizen's home, removed the citizen with assault rifles at gun point, and then detained the citizen for an involuntary treatment act evaluation. | Received: 8/22/2017
District: 2 Status: Administratively Suspended Ombudsman Findings: Concur Chief's Findings: N/A Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-23 | An Excessive Force complaint was received by the OPO via intake. The complainant was involved in a domestic dispute with his mother when SPD responded. He reluctantly agreed to be taken to the hospital. At the hospital, he alleges excessive force because he was forced into restraints and have his blood was drawn against his will. |
Received: 9/6/2017
District: 3 Status: Closed Ombudsman Findings: Certified Chief's Findings: Training Failure Officer Discipline: Training Bulletin |
| OPO: 17-24 | An Unlawful / Improper Search / Seizure complaint was received by the OPO via intake. The complainant alleges officers improperly interrogated him on his front porch for half an hour following a domestic dispute in his home that was reported to SPD. |
Received: 9/11/2017
District: 2 Status: Inquiry Ombudsman Findings: Certified Chief's Findings: N/A Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-25 | An Inadequate Response complaint was received by the OPO via email. The complainant's wife was at the Franklin Park Mall when their vehicle was smashed in and her purse was stolen. Despite having identification of the suspect and surveillance footage from a nearby business, SPD informed the complainant that he would receive no follow up despite being a solvable crime due to a lack of resources. |
Received: 9/28/2017
District: 2 Status: Inquiry Ombudsman Findings: Certified Chief's Findings: N/A Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-26 | An Inadequate Response complaint was received by the OPO via email. The complainant is the victim of financial fraud, a felony in Washington state. She alleges a lieutenant from SPD contacted her to let her know it's SPD's policy not to investigate these types of cases. |
Received: 10/9/2017
District: N/A Status: Inquiry Ombudsman Findings: Certified Chief's Findings: N/A Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-27 | An Inadequate Response, False Reporting, and Demeanor complaint was received by the OPO via web form. The complainant alleges an officer made false statements in the police report in retaliation of the complainant's demeanor. The complainant doesn't believe the officer could have seen what is recorded in the report. The complainant further alleges the primary officer she spoke with was rude and manipulated what she said in order to fit the requirements of probable cause. Lastly, the complainant spoke with the officers' supervisor and he was not helpful to the citizen and hung up on her. |
Received: 10/17/2017
District: 2 Status: Pending Ombudsman Findings: TBD Chief's Findings: TBD Officer Discipline: TBD |
| OPO: 17-28 | A Demeanor complaint was received by the OPO via email. The complaint was offended that an officer was laughing at him while issuing him a citation for a sit and lie violation. This complaint was forwarded to the OPO from Council Member Waldref's and Council Member Fagan's offices. |
Received: 11/9/2017
District: Pending Status: Mediated Ombudsman Findings: N/A Chief's Findings: N/A Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-29 | An Inadequate Response complaint was received by OPO via USPS. Citizen claims not receiving a follow up from an officer or the officer’s sergeant following a traffic accident. The citizen claims numerous attempts to contact SPD to no avail |
Received: 11/6/2017
District: 1 Status: Pending Ombudsman Findings: TBD Chief's Findings: TBD Officer Discipline: TBD |
| OPO: 17-30 | N/A |
Received: N/A
District: N/A Status: N/A Ombudsman Findings: N/A Chief's Findings: N/A Officer Discipline: N/A |
| OPO: 17-31 | An Inadequate Response complaint was received by the OPO via intake. The complainant reported a burglary to 911. Complainant alleges SPD did not contact him after concluding their investigation because the burglar was still on the premises. |
Received: 11/27/2017
District: 2 Status: Inquiry Ombudsman Findings: Certified Chief's Findings: N/A Officer Discipline: N/A |
Office of Police Ombudsman
1st Floor, City Hall
808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.
Spokane, WA 99201
Phone: 509.625.6742
Fax: 509.625.6748
Regular Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday
opo@spokanecity.org
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Police Ombudsman
Luvimae Omana
Deputy Ombudsman
Christina Coty
Administrative Specialist
Tim Szambelan
Police Ombudsman Attorney
