Sentences for teens who assaulted Seattle cop angers fellow officers

Angry police say a judge sent a terrible message on Friday when he told three teens they wouldn't spend additional time behind bars for an attack on a fellow officer in West Seattle last year.

The three teens — two boys and a girl — were given sentences by a judge that ranged from 30 days in juvenile lockup for a boy convicted of third-degree assault to 75 hours of community service for the girl who was convicted of obstruction.

The second boy was also convicted of obstruction and sentenced to 30 days.

But because of the time they have already spent in juvenile jail, King County Superior Court Judge Chris Washington determined that the boys will not have to spend any more time behind bars and credited them for the 59 days they'd already served in detention.

The girl did not spend any days in custody, prosecutors said.

All three teens got 12 months of probation and the boy who kicked the officer was ordered to attend anger-management classes.

Officers who attended the hearing said they felt betrayed.

"You're sending the wrong message," Officer W. Kohn told the judge during the hearing.

"We are not punching bags. The word is going to get out that you can commit a minor assault on an officer and you're not going to be held accountable."

According to police and prosecutors, Seattle Police Officer Jason McKissack was responding to a report of people fighting in the street near 32nd Avenue Southwest and Southwest Raymond Street on June 17, 2008, when he saw a man throwing a teen to the ground.

When he tried to intervene, the adult backed off, but the teen, now 17, began punching McKissack in the head, court documents said.

While he tried to restrain the first teen, the teen's girlfriend, now 18, also got involved in the struggle, scratching and trying to pull McKissack off her boyfriend, prosecutors said.

McKissack's radio was torn from his uniform and the officer had to fight to keep his gun out of the hands of his attackers, police and prosecutors said.

Another boy, a 17-year-old friend of the first boy, punched McKissack several times, then stepped back and delivered a kick in the face that prosecutors say left McKissack with brain damage.

McKissack, a nine-year veteran of the force, suffered a loss of motor skills and has been on medical leave since the incident. He says he has been told he may not be able to qualify for a return to police work.

Prosecutors charged the three teens with third-degree assault, but only one — the one who kicked the officer — was convicted as charged.

All three faced standard-range sentences of zero to 30 days, but prosecutors had asked for an exceptionally long sentence of 30 to 40 weeks for the teen who kicked McKissack.

The judge, however, refused to consider the longer sentence.

Defense attorneys said the three teens had letters of recommendation from teachers, little to no criminal history and that they planned to continue their education.

A spokesman for the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office said the sentences were disappointing.

"It was a very serious assault on the officer, but ultimately, it was the judge's decision," said Dan Donohoe.

Several officers who attended the hearing said the leniency of the sentences will give them pause the next time they have to respond to a street fight.

"What are we supposed to do? Wait for backup before breaking it up?"one asked.

"Then we'll have people complaining, 'The cops stood around and watched and didn't do nothing.' "

Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com