x
Breaking News
More () »

Off-duty officer accused of driving through crowd no longer works for Seattle police

A week after an off-duty Seattle police officer was accused of driving through a crowd, that officer no longer works for the department.

As of Friday, a police officer who protesters accused of driving through a crowd while off duty is no longer employed by the Seattle Police Department.

The incident will continue to be investigated by the Office of Police Accountability.

Seattle police say the off-duty officer was involved in a crash in their personal car near a protest on Capitol Hill just after midnight on July 4.

A group of demonstrators blocked the intersection of Boren Avenue and Olive Way, and the off-duty officer said they were navigating through the opening in the crowd when protesters surrounded the car.

RELATED: Protesters accuse off-duty Seattle officer of driving through their crowd

Protesters say the car, a blue Hyundai, circled the group twice before one of the demonstrators t-boned the off-duty officer’s car to try and stop it. The demonstrators also claim that the same blue car followed the group two days prior, and the driver yelled racial slurs at them.

After the incident, Seattle police took the involved officer off street patrol.

Demonstrators claim Seattle police didn't take their concerns seriously when officers arrived on scene of the July 4 incident. Protesters also demand charges be filed against the involved off-duty officer.

The Office of Police Accountability shared the following statement with KING 5 on Friday evening: 

"We opened an administrative investigation into this incident. We have further referred the case for criminal investigation given the nature of the allegations that were made. Both investigations are ongoing. I can’t confirm officer names. Our investigation will be completed no later than 180 days from the date of incident. I don’t have a timeline for the criminal investigation but such investigations generally take 2-3 months depending on the complexity of the case, the number of witnesses, and investigative resources."

Before You Leave, Check This Out