A disturbing video showing a violent interaction between an Auburn woman and three city police officers demands a thorough review on behalf of not only the woman involved, but city residents whose trust in their police department has been shaken by what they saw.
The Aug. 14 video, captured by a bystander across the street, shows a 39-year-old woman being restrained by officers outside West Middle School Apartments. Each of the woman's arms is held by an officer when she is punched in the head several times by the third, then wrestled to the ground.Â
The video was widely shared on the internet, and many local residents spoke at the Auburn City Council meeting the following evening to express their concerns. The woman needed intervention due to a mental health issue, some said, not a violent arrest. Others said the incident was a clear example of "decades of systemic racism" people of color have experienced from local law enforcement.
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"We acknowledge that much progress has been made in the past decade to strengthen relationships and build trust," the Auburn Human Rights Commission said in a statement.
"However, the work is far from done. The community unrest that has taken over social media platforms is a demand for appropriate accountability to be given to those who were called to help, but rendered trauma as their contribution."
Auburn Police Chief James Slayton said people should not rush to judgment over a relatively brief video when the department has more than 80 minutes of body camera footage to review. He added that the safety of everyone involved needs to be taken into account, and that officers at the scene had used "several de-escalation techniques."Â
Regardless of what happened before the incident the bystander recorded, it raises some questions: When, if ever, is it appropriate for a police officer to punch a citizen several times in the head, particularly one who appears to be defenseless? Does the Auburn Police Department need to update its training and protocols regarding use of force? Should the officer who struck the woman be reprimanded or even fired?
We believe the answers to these questions should wait until after the investigation into the incident is complete. We also believe it would be beneficial to have an outside agency involved in that work — if only to take an extra step toward maintaining the community's trust in the department, no matter what is determined about last week's video.
