The Divest Digest: May 6, 2026
Flock's back on in Renton, Diversions aren't diverting like they used to, and protesters are catching major federal charges for minor kerfuffles.
Hey folks, we’re trying something new. The Divest Digest is a twice-monthly roundup of local police and public safety news in the Puget Sound and beyond, packaged in a nice, easy-to-read format for your convenience. Enjoy!
News in Brief
Flock Cameras Back on in Renton
April 22
The Renton Police Department is turning its Flock cameras back on after pausing them in March. The department’s camera program was temporarily suspended until the State legislature could pass a law regulating license plate readers. But the program wasn’t completely put on hold, apparently. UWCHR found that their data and that of several other Washington agencies had been shared with the feds. Renton said they didn’t know. They claim to have changed the sharing settings while keeping the cameras on.
Community Calls for Probe Into Knees on Necks
April 28
Last week, Seattle police officers were accused of using banned knee-on-neck restraints on people detained at a recent protest against a Town Hall Seattle event, featuring Noa Cochva, former Miss Israel, Israeli army veteran, and Gaza genocide apologist. Community members and elected officials are calling for all officers seen using that tactic to be identified, investigated, and suspended. The Office of Police Accountability has only issued sustained findings for this behavior against one officer. Joshua McMullen was caught on camera kneeling on the neck of an arrestee during the George Floyd Protests in 2020. He was issued a written reprimand.
Diversions Down, Arrests Up
April 28
City Council heard updates on the LEAD Diversion program. At public comment, they heard from election losers Sara Nelson and Tanya Woo, as well as regular loser Andrea Suarez of We Heart Seattle. A big takeaway from that presentation was that pre-arrest diversions were down 41 percent in the last two years, while arrests were up 47 percent. SPD COO Sarah Smith, who recently replaced Brian Maxey, said at the presentation that these numbers reflected low staffing. With more officers, they’ll be “able to do more” diversions instead of prioritizing arrests, Smith claimed.
Federal Charges for Protest Fray
April 29
Protestors in St. Paul, MN, were indicted by a grand jury after a TPUSA streamer snitch-tagged Harmeet Dhillon, Andy Ngo’s former lawyer and the current chief of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. Now, all the other aspiring grifters out there harassing entire communities will likely be emboldened to do the same. The Civil Rights Division is also currently investigating the University of Washington for its handling of pro-Palestine protests on campus, claiming the university coddled "antisemitism." Never mind the fact that the school harshly cracked down on protestors. And speaking of aspiring grifters, retired SPD detective Glenn Kerns actually helped stir up the racist moral panic about fraud at home-based daycare centers that has impacted Somali communities across the country.
ICYMI
Cop Shoots Wall, Does Drunken Hit-and-Run
Former Seattle Police Officer Robert West had an exemplary run last April. First, he shot the wall of the North Precinct while he was gassing up his cruiser. Later that month, he crashed his truck while drunk on White Claws, then left the scene and illegally parked across two driveways. Incredibly, he wasn’t fired, but West probably assumed he would be. He apparently lateraled to another department in Pierce County before the investigation ended. We’re still trying to confirm where. If he’s still in his probationary period, we can probably get him fired. Stay tuned!
Officer Reprimanded for Smashing Megaphone Into Protester’s Face
Last year, Christian fundamentalists rallied at City Hall, and trans rights protesters showed up to oppose them. Though the rally was unpermitted and mostly made up of folks from out of town, the Seattle Police Department was out in full force to protect them. A protester was leading the chant, “Trans rights are human rights,” through a megaphone. After she pointed it at him and said, “You’re pathetic,” Officer Jordan Wallace lost his cool and pushed the bullhorn into her face, riling up the crowd. He was reprimanded for violating the department’s de-escalation policy.
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