Bad Cop Baseball Cards: Caleb Howard

Anger issues, sexual paranoia, and alcohol problems? Sounds like the perfect CRG material.

Officer Caleb Howard should not be working for the Seattle Police Department today. In a just world, he would’ve been fired for a crime he committed early in his career. Howard assaulted a teenager — an officer’s son, no less — at a party full of police officers and kept his job. SPD saw an asset in his knack for violence and put him to good use on a newly formed anti-protest unit called the Community Response Group.

Caleb Howard is in our Protest Pack with nine other officers from SWAT, POET, and the Community Response Group. You can buy it at our store along with our 2025 DivestSPD All-Stars.

Choked another officer’s son at a backyard party

• Howard went to a party at another officer’s house, attended by multiple Seattle police officers, and consumed a massive amount of alcohol

• He attempted to ply the host’s underage daughter with alcohol and made several explicit sexual comments, including telling her that he “wished he was a hot lesbian” with her.

• Howard accused the officer’s teenage son of trying to sleep with his girlfriend and challenged him to a wrestling match.

• While they were wrestling, Howard choked and punched the teen. When his father attempted to intervene, Howard punched him.

• Howard was charged with assault and agreed to a dispositional continuance, under which his charges would be dismissed if he did not commit any crimes for two years.

• He was suspended for 30 days, the severest punishment short of termination.

Punched and hit protesters with a bike

Note: The above video is not Officer Caleb Howard’s bodyworn video and does not depict the misconduct mentioned below. We could not locate Howard’s footage, so we included this as a reference to show SPD’s response that day.

• During the 2020 George Floyd uprising, a Labor Day demonstration was held outside of the police guild headquarters, drawing hundreds of protesters demanding accountability and total abolition of police

• SPD moved in on the crowd to the tune of “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy.” They claimed to be making a targeted arrest of a person with a trash bag that “smelled like gas” according to an informant (it was just trash that someone intended to throw on SPOG).

• Howard weaponized his bike by striking a protester’s shield and legs with his front wheel and punched a protester with a closed fist

• The Office of Police Accountability argued Howard’s punches were “self-defense,” and de-escalation was not an option, given the context of the protest

Conducted a dangerous, unauthorized pursuit

• Howard and others responded to a call about a stolen vehicle.

• Defying orders to end his pursuit, Howard recklessly continued chasing the vehicle through residential neighborhoods, striking a vehicle and continuing through Columbia City in heavy traffic.

• Howard ran a red light and a stop sign, nearly striking two pedestrians.

• Though OPA recommended a disciplinary range of one to three days suspension, Chief Adrian Diaz chose to issue a written reprimand—the second-lowest form of discipline.

Broke a young Black woman’s jaw

• Howard stopped a young Black woman because her physical description did not match that of the registered owner of the car.

• She drove away because she had an outstanding misdemeanor warrant and stopped up the road, then walked away from the car

• Howard and other officers came up behind her and ordered her to stop. She continued walking.

• He rushed up and arm-checked her, knocking her down. Video analysis showed her head struck the ground face-first.

• The doctor at the hospital diagnosed her with a fractured jaw.

• The OPA found Howard’s force was justified.

Tackled and punched a protest medic

• In May of 2025, there was a counter-protest against a Christian fundamentalist, anti-trans concert at Cal Anderson Park in Seattle’s predominantly queer neighborhood.

• SPD bike cops began pepper spraying, tackling, and arresting people after a counter-protester popped a decorative balloon.

• Caleb Howard tackled and repeatedly punched a medic in the head and abdomen.

• He then released the medic from a full-body grip and began punching another counter-protester.

• Body camera footage showed the medic was standing with his arms at his side before being tackled. He did not appear to commit a crime, pose a threat, resist, or attempt to escape.

• Allegations against Howard would have been sustained, but the investigation couldn’t be completed within the deadline set by the police guild contract.

Threw a Black man head-first through a glass door

• Howard was part of a team serving an arrest warrant at a vocational school

• The target ran and tossed his bag. His friend picked it up and ran inside the school.

• The officers chased him into the school and cornered him in a shop class.

• He ran down the stairs past Howard, and Howard pursued him.

• As the two approached the door, Howard grabbed the man from behind, shoving him headfirst through the glass door.

• The man sustained serious cuts to his head and neck that required hospitalization.

• Howard’s command found that the force was justified and the injury was accidental.

• There was no OPA referral.

Unconstitutionally arrested a man without a warrant

• Howard and another officer responded to a disturbance call, arriving to find a mother and son arguing over money

• The officers alleged they had enough probable cause to arrest the man involved

• Two weeks later, after reviewing body cam footage after pain was reported, a lieutenant referred the incident for OPA review because he believed the officers violated the man’s constitutional rights and SPD policy.

• The OPA argued the arrest was unconstitutional because the man was standing with his foot within the threshold of his apartment when seized.

• Because the arrest was solely based on probable cause and the arresting officers did not have an arrest warrant, they were not permitted to enter his residence.

• Howard and the other officer received training referrals and management action recommendations for these violations.

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