A Seattle, Washington sheriff’s deputy was suspended from duty and charged with using excessive force on a 15-year-old girl who was in custody.
The teenager was booked on suspicion of motor vehicle theft at the holding facility at SeaTac City Hall last November. The girl, who is not identified because of her age, was escorted to a holding cell by two sheriff’s deputies.
Once inside the holding cell, the teenager was asked to remove her shoes, which she defiantly kicked at 8-year veteran Deputy Paul Schene, 31.
In a surveillance video, Schene “Chris Browns” the girl — kicking, punching, and roughly backing her into a wall before grabbing her by her hair and slamming her face down on the concrete floor.
The other deputy entered the cell and helped to restrain the girl’s hands behind her back while Schene punched her twice in the back of the head. Schene then picked the girl up by her hair and marched her from the holding cell.
After the assault, the girl complained of breathing difficulties. Paramedics who were called to the facility concluded she did not require treatment.
Schene, 31, pleaded not guilty to fourth-degree assault in Superior Court on Thursday. The second deputy, who was a trainee at the time of the incident, was not charged.
“We believe this case is beyond just police misconduct, it’s criminal misconduct,” King County Prosecutor Daniel Satterberg said. “This is clearly excessive force.”
According to the Seattle Times, Schene was previously investigated for shooting two people — killing one — in the line of duty in 2002 and 2006. Both times his actions were found to be justified, said Ian Goodhew, prosecutor’s deputy chief of staff.
Bloggers coined the terms “Chris Browns” or “Chris Brown-ed” to describe the actions of girly men who kick, punch and/or bite defenseless women. The term is named after bitch-boy singer Chris Brown, who famously kicked, punched and bit his girlfriend Rihanna in a fit of rage in Feb. ’09.
