Critics at hearing lambaste Seattle mayor's top cop pick

Anger about a videotaped June 14 jaywalking stop bubbled over Wednesday night at a public hearing about whether to confirm John Diaz as Seattle's new police chief.

The incident, in which a Seattle police officer punched an African-American teenager in Rainier Valley after she pushed him, was brought up repeatedly during the two-hour hearing by people who said Diaz and other Seattle leaders had not responded strongly enough.

The police officer involved is the subject of an internal investigation, and Diaz has said he can't talk much about the incident because of the investigation, but many at the hearing were furious that he hasn't spoken out against the officer's actions.

Most critics of Diaz at the hearing spoke about the jaywalking incident and what they view as Diaz's poor relationship with the black community. The acting chief's supporters from a number of communities — including some African Americans — praised him for his character and his long record of work as a Seattle officer.

"His integrity is impeccable," said Roberto Maestas, the founder of El Centro de la Raza. "His soft-spokenness is a source of strength, although the media has pointed to it as a point of weakness. What it shows us in our community, and I think in most minority communities, is that he has humility."

Representatives from the Nation of Islam and the NAACP were among members of the black community who spoke about the punching incident as an example of injustice and a reason they believe the Seattle City Council should not confirm Diaz.

"We are not satisfied with your response," said Milford Muhammad, of the Nation of Islam. "All of the injustices that have occurred in Seattle [over the years] — they have never been addressed.

One speaker, Harriett Walden, who heads a police-accountability group, questioned why Diaz doesn't live in Seattle, suggesting that the chief doesn't think it's safe enough for his own family to live there. Diaz lives in Issaquah.

"It is my belief that Chief Diaz is a Band-Aid to these wounds, and this city needs some stitches," said Anwar Peace, a police-accountability activist.

Diaz sat with his wife, who is a police detective, and some members of his command staff as speakers lined up to give City Council members their opinions about the chief and the department. The council's Public Safety and Education Committee is scheduled to vote next week on Diaz's appointment, followed by a full-council vote Aug. 9.

Mayor Mike McGinn selected Diaz, who has been the interim chief for a little more than a year, from among two finalists for police chief.

Paul Bascomb, the chairman of the African-American Community Advisory Council, expressed support for Diaz, even though he acknowledged Diaz is "not perfect," and he called the jaywalking incident "deplorable."

"I support him because I believe the work that he'll try to do ... I believe he will try to do what is necessary to heal the community," Bascomb said.

Emily Heffter: 206-464-8246