United States v. City of Seattle

This court case is active

In 2011, the ACLU-WA and 34 other civil rights and community-based organizations asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate whether the Seattle Police Department (SPD) engaged in a pattern or practice of violations of civil rights by using unnecessary and excessive force against residents. After the investigation, Seattle agreed to a consent decree with a court-appointed monitor to improve SPD’s policies and practices. In 2023, the City and DOJ filed to end the consent decree. A judge ended some provisions of the decree but left those related to accountability and crowd control in place. While the consent decree is nearing its end, the ACLU-WA and community groups continue to push SPD on racial disparity and other harms that communities face.
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