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Investigators: Music video latest scandal for Port of Seattle police

06:29 PM PST on Wednesday, December 19, 2007

By SUSANNAH FRAME / KING 5 News

More questionable material uncovered at Port of Seattle PD

SEATTLE – New findings by the KING 5 Investigators have prompted another investigation at the Port of Seattle Police Department.

Earlier this year, KING 5 exposed "E-Gate," where several officers were sending around racist and pornographic e-mails at work. Now, more questionable material has been uncovered – a homemade music video that Port of Seattle Police never wanted you to see.

A source sent KING 5 the video featuring four Port of Seattle Police officers, the 1995 rock hit "Radar Gun" and dozens of images that appear to show just how much fun the guys have on the job using radar guns to catch speeders and pull them over.

The video was made three years ago, right at the time all those inappropriate e-mails were being sent around the department. It was edited by an officer who has since been fired for other problems, but the other three officers in the video are still on the job with sought after assignments such as the dive team and SWAT.

By matching photo time stamps with employee time cards, KING 5 has found many of the images were created during work hours over a three day period while officers were supposed to be doing official police work.

"I think it's in poor taste, number one," said Dr. Ed Reed of Seattle University. He's on the Seattle City Council's blue ribbon task force for police accountability.

"If people were left to their own to analysis and dissect this, they would say, 'Whoa! What kind of place is this? What are people doing on the job here? Are these people being supervised or is it a free-for-all?'"

The video includes:

--Someone pointing a gun at a pink stuffed animal

--The officer who made the video showing off a large knife

--Others posing with their radar guns

But others images are far more serious. One citizen told KING 5 he was tricked into being in the video. He was asked to pretend he was getting a ticket for a photo to be used in what was called a police training video.

Another man was stopped and arrested the night the photo was taken, but KING 5 could find no evidence that he gave permission to be in a music video.

The video also includes shots of personal information from people pulled over, and from several car wrecks, including one that required medical assistance.

"You've raised some concerns in the last week or so. I've reviewed the video and I have some concerns about the judgement exercised," said Port of Seattle Police chief Colleen Wilson about the video.

She has asked the Washington State Patrol to conduct an investigation to see if those still with the department broke any policies or laws.

As for why this wasn't investigated three years ago when the video was shot, KING 5 has learned the deputy chief saw it back then but didn't watch the enitre thing and didn't see any reason at the time to look into it further.

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