Jury finds Seattle Boys & Girls Club volunteer wrongly arrested

A federal jury in Seattle has awarded $269,000 to a young volunteer at the Rainier Vista Boys & Girls Club who was knocked to the ground and arrested by a Seattle police officer in 2006. The jury found that the officer wrongly arrested Romelle Bradford and violated his civil rights.

Monday's jury verdict is the first in a decade against a Seattle police officer in an excessive-force case, according to city officials, although the city has settled several claims for substantial figures in recent months.

Bradford's injuries were not serious, although his attorneys argued that he has suffered an "unseen injury" because his arrest will remain in the FBI computer indefinitely and he'll have to answer "yes" on forms that ask if he's ever been arrested.

The 22-year-old Bradford — who overcame a troubled childhood to be named 2003 King County and Washington state youth of the year — said the hurt is real.

"Since I was 15, I've been telling people that the most important thing you have is your reputation," said Bradford, who continues to work with young people in the Rainier Vista community. "They messed with the wrong guy."

Bradford was 20 and working as a chaperone at the Boys & Girls Club the night of Aug. 4, 2006. The Rainier Vista club had hosted a dance with another club from Skyway, and tension between the crowds began to mount after it ended. According to court records, at least four people called 911 to report the unruly crowd.

Among the first officers to arrive was rookie Patrolman Jacob Briskey, according to court records.

Bradford, who was wearing a red "Staff" T-shirt and an ID badge on a lanyard around his neck, said he was jogging toward a group where a confrontation was brewing when he heard someone yell, "Freeze!"

"He had no idea it was a police officer that was yelling at him," according to the lawsuit.

It was Briskey who was yelling, and when Bradford didn't stop, according to the lawsuit, the then-24-year-old officer charged Bradford, who said he spun around and held out his ID.

Bradford, in his lawsuit, said the officer plowed into him, hit him in the face with his forearm and knocked him to the ground.

According to Bradford, the officer repeatedly stated that he would "knock him the [expletive] out" if he tried to get back up and threatened to "break his [expletive] arm" if he resisted.

Bradford was thrown over the hood of a patrol car and handcuffed.

According to the lawsuit, Briskey turned and asked a gathering crowd who was in charge of the dance.

Several members of the crowd told the officer that Bradford was in charge. Even so, he was taken to the South Precinct, where he was held and later transported to the King County Jail and booked on charges of resisting arrest and obstructing justice. He was released from jail the following evening on his own recognizance.

When he appeared in court two days later, he was told he was not being charged.

Bradford filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit last year, claiming use of excessive force and unlawful arrest.

The jury deliberated less than a day, after a five-day trial before U.S. Magistrate Judge James Donohoe, before reaching its verdict Monday.

Jurors found that Briskey had acted within his duties when he stopped and temporarily detained Bradford at the scene but that the officer had violated Bradford's rights by arresting him. The jury also found that the officer used excessive force but did not assault Bradford.

The jury found that Briskey did not act with "evil motive or actual malice," and no punitive damages were awarded.

Because of the civil-rights finding, the city also will have to pay fees for Bradford's attorney, Lembhard Howell, which Howell said have not been determined.

City Attorney Tom Carr said the city is considering an appeal. He issued a statement Tuesday calling it a "very unfortunate case" that involved a split-second decision by an officer in stressful circumstances.

Carr said that this single verdict against the department in more than 10 years "speaks to the excellent job done by our police force."

Attempts to contact Briskey through the department and his attorney were not successful.

The city's trial attorney, Moses Garcia of Stafford Frey Cooper, said Howell did a masterful job of "creating a picture of a very sympathetic plaintiff."

Garcia believes the jury was confused about the court's instructions.

Howell said the verdict should be a warning to the Police Department to review instances in which officers file charges of obstructing justice or resisting arrest and no other criminal charge.

He alleged they are often "cover charges," used when officers think they may have used too much force.

More important, Bradford said, "I knew I didn't do anything wrong."

Mike Carter: 206-464-3706 or mcarter@seattletimes.com