SPD Baseball Cards: Sgt. Nathan Patterson
With six police brutality incidents, six lawsuits, and one fatal shooting, Sgt. Patterson is one of the Seattle Police Department's most notoriously violent officers.
Editor’s note: This is the fourth card in our 2025 series. If we can generate enough interest, we plan to produce and sell physical packs of cards to raise money for future projects. To get updates about limited-edition SPD trading cards, fill out this form.
Hired seven years before the Seattle Police Department was placed under consent decree, Sgt. Nathan Patterson is a poster child for the kind of disproportionate, unconstitutional force the Department of Justice found in its investigation. Unabashedly violent, Patterson was involved in multiple high-profile excessive force incidents where he beat someone with a baton or flashlight. He has been named in six lawsuits, primarily for excessive force, with legal costs totaling over $1.1 million
Despite his brutal track record, Patterson was promoted to the rank of sergeant. Now, he trains, mentors, and supervises officers in the South Precinct, home to some of Seattle’s most diverse neighborhoods.
Eric Garcia-Arcos
On Oct 20, 2006, Patterson joined nine other officers who mercilessly beat Eric Garcia-Arcos during an illegal detention while investigating a non-criminal noise complaint. .
Hitting him with fists, batons, and flashlights, the officers broke Garcia-Arcos’ vertebrae, ribs, and nose, then charged him with assaulting an officer. The charges were later dropped.
Garcia-Arcos’ lawsuit was settled for $85,000 and the total cost to the city was $119,000.
Andrew Rutherford
Patterson was one of several officers who responded to a “fast backup” request by an off-duty officer on Sept. 9, 2007. The officer claimed he stopped a Jeep under suspicion that the driver was intoxicated.
When one of the passengers, Andrew Rutherford, did not immediately obey an order to get on the ground, officers slammed him on the pavement causing a head injury. He was falsely arrested for obstruction.
Rutherford was only granted $1 in damages from the resulting lawsuit, but the total cost to the city, including lawyer’s fees, was $675,000.
Naeta Saechao
Naita Saechao passed out drunk on a bed at a large family party, and SPD officers responded to a call about a stabbing committed by a man in his twenties.
Saechao was disoriented when they tried to wake him. He didn’t realize they were police officers and kicked one of them. Officers beat and Tasered him. Patterson struck him in the side with a flashlight repeatedly.
The city settled Naita Saechao’s lawsuit for $90,000 plus lawyer’s fees. In total, the suit cost the city $134,000.
Columbia City Bust-Up
On July 22, 2011, Patterson and other officers were called about a non-criminal noise complaint at a party in Columbia City.
When the host of the party refused to let them into the backyard, the officers rushed in and began assaulting people.
According to the lawsuit, Patterson and other officers handcuffed one of the partygoers on the ground. They repeatedly punched and hit him with batons. Patterson would later brag on camera that he broke his nightstick during this incident.
Officers filed multiple false charges, including riot, obstruction, and assaulting an officer. They were all dismissed.
The laswsuit was settled for $195,000 and cost the city $230,000 total.
Shooting of Frankie Lee, Sr.
In 2012, Henry Lee, Sr., a 77-year-old Black man with Alzheimer’s, contacted 911 via his medical alert bracelet because there was a prowler outside his door.
He came to the door with a gun in his hand. Patterson and another officer shot and killed him.
2020 Protest Beating
On May 29, 2020, the first night of the George Floyd protests, Patterson and a group of officers were attempting to block off foot traffic in the China-International District.
Patterson tried to block a man in a hoodie from coming down the hill and turning right. He grabbed him and pushed him down.
The man slipped by and another officer pushed him down with a riot stick.
Patterson climbed on top of the man and pinned him down. After the man swung a water bottle upward, never coming closer than a foot away, Patterson punched him seven to eight times.
Chief Diaz issued him a written reprimand for excessive force.
2024 Bus Stop Beating
A recently evicted veteran became upset when workers at his former home attempted to throw his things away. He pushed one with his walking stick and threw some lit sticks of incense into the house. No one was injured, and there was no damage to the house.
Patterson and Ofc. Cody Alidon detained him and took him to a nearby bus stop to frisk him.
When they tried to put him into cuffs, he tensed his arms. Patterson threw him to the ground and beat him repeatedly with his baton.
Though OPA recommended a suspension of up to 15 days, Chief Shon Barnes suspended Patterson for only a day.
Why so stingy?