investigation.pdf -

Please enable JavaScript to view the full PDF

8/29/23, 10:45 PM Gmail - 2023OPA-0250 Investigation Classification 2023OPA-0250 Investigation Classification 2 messages Police Accountability, Office <Office.PoliceAccountability@seattle.gov> Tue, Aug 29, 2023 at 3:30 PM To: "paralegal@oshanandassociates.com" <paralegal@oshanandassociates.com> Dear Antonio Mays, Thank you for submitting a complaint to the Office of Police Accountability (OPA) about a Seattle Police Department employee. Your complaint was reviewed and an intake investigation was conducted to determine whether a full investigation into a possible policy violation would be required. That initial investigation was reviewed by OPA leadership. The OPA Director has determined your complaint requires further investigation into a possible policy violation. The Investigation Process As part of the process, it is possible the assigned investigator may contact you to schedule an interview, if one has not already been conducted. The purpose of this interview would be to gather more information about the incident and your complaint. The investigation may also include one or more of the following steps, depending on the nature of the complaint: conduct in-depth interviews with the Complainant and Involved officer(s), identify and interview independent witnesses, collect and review evidence (e.g. Body Worn Video, In-Car Video, 3rd party video), and obtain and review copies of police department reports related to the incident. After the Investigation Once the investigation is complete, it will be reviewed by OPA leadership for thoroughness and objectivity. The Office of Inspector General for Public Safety (OIG) reviews the completed investigation to ensure that OPA completed it in a thorough, objective, and timely manner. After the investigation is certified by the OIG, the OPA Director will formally recommend a “finding” for each allegation in your complaint. A finding can be one of the following: Sustained: The evidence indicates that a violation of SPD policy occurred. Not Sustained (Unfounded): The evidence indicates the alleged policy violation did not occur as reported or did not occur at all. Not Sustained (Lawful and Proper): The evidence indicates the alleged conduct occurred but was justified and consistent with policy. Not Sustained (Inconclusive): The evidence neither proves nor disproves the allegation. Not Sustained (Training Referral): There was a potential, but not willful, violation of policy that does not amount to misconduct. The employee's chain of command will provide appropriate training and counseling. Not Sustained (Management Action): The evidence indicates the employee may have acted contrary to policy, but due to a potential deficiency in SPD policy or training, OPA issued a recommendation to the Department to clarify or revise the policy or training. Timeline The investigation process generally takes up to six months. There are several administrative steps that may take place between the OPA Director’s issuance of recommended findings and the closing of the case. If you would like an update on the status of your case at any time, please call OPA at (206) 684-8797 or send an email to opa@seattle.gov. OPA makes every effort to resolve the complaint as quickly as possible, however, we understand this can potentially be a lengthy process and we thank you for your continued patience. Keeping Track of Your Complaint You can also check the status of your complaint at any time by going to OPA’s Complaint Tracker on our website: http://www.seattle.gov/opa/ complaints/check-complaint-status. Enter your whole case number, which is . The status is updated at each stage of OPA’s complaint process. We want to take this time to thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention and engaging with this process. OPA is dedicated to providing independent and transparent accountability of the SPD for the citizens of the Seattle community. Your willingness to help bridge the gap between the Seattle Police Department and the community as a whole is greatly appreciated. Sincerely, https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ik=6096ac5225&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f:1775604329949466848&simpl=msg-f:1775604329949466848&simpl=… 1/2