Report: Seattle Police officer strikes person biking on Bell Street, investigation reveals need for more transparency into officer collisions

A Seattle Police officer with a history of preventable traffic collisions ran a stop sign with a flashing red light at the wide-open 8th and Bell intersection, striking a person wearing a bright red jacket riding in the dashed green bike lane in broad daylight August 24, 2024. The officer initially lied and said he came to a complete stop before admitting that he was looking at his in-car computer and did not stop, according to a troubling report (PDF) from the Office of Police Accountability (OPA") that was released to the public last Friday.

Rather than a suggested 1-2 day suspension, Seattle Police Department (SPD") Chief Shon Barnes gave the officer a written reprimand and some additional emergency vehicle operator training. The officer had been in ten collisions previously, of which eight had been deemed preventable," the report noted. This was the officer's ninth documented preventable collision, and the second to occur since a previous round of additional driver training in 2022.

After the collision, the victim reportedly sustained some scrapes and significant damage to her bicycle. She was confused about how [the officer] failed to notice her while she was able to see him," according to the report. She was evaluated by medics and was in enough pain that they transported to the hospital. The report does not include a follow-up on her condition.

Video stills included in the report show dashcam images in which she is very visible before the collision. The collision sends her onto the hood of the car, where her helmet appears to strike the hood before she is knocked to the ground. Police cruisers are equipped with strong push bars" on the front that increase the risk to others during a collision. The report noted that there was some sight damage to the cruiser's push bar.

I am highlighting how visible she is not to excuse collisions in worse visibility conditions but to stress how inexcusable this collision was. Anyone, police officer or not, who fails to see this person or the flashing red lights at the stop sign should not be driving a car:

[The officer] acknowledged being distracted while checking his [mobile data terminal] as he neared an intersection during daylight hours, fully aware that other drivers and pedestrians were present. That intersection featured both a flashing red light and a stop sign, providing [the officer] with clear indications of his obligation to stop. Nevertheless, [the officer] failed to stop and clear an intersection before proceeding. Consequently, [the officer's] unsafe driving directly caused a collision."

Perhaps the most troubling note in the whole report, however, is that the officer initially tried to lie and say he came to a complete stop. [The officer's] statement indicated that he believed he had fully stopped at the intersection and ensured it was clear before driving through it. However, upon further reflection, [he] remembered that he neither fully stopped nor cleared the intersection." In a follow-up interview with the OPA in January 2025, the officer said he never saw the victim because he was looking at his car's computer. He acknowledged his responsibility for the collision and indicated his willingness to undergo any necessary training," according to the report. [The officer] said he did not operate his police vehicle with malice or with the intent to violate the law. [He] said he has not driven since the collision."

The OPA report does not name the officers or victims involved in the incident. A post on the Divest SPD blog does include the officer's name as well as an additional video clip not included in the OPA's report. They also note that it does not appear the officer was issued a traffic citation.

The incident and subsequent investigation also revealed troubling gaps in how SPD reports (or does not report) traffic incidents to the Office of Police Accountability:

OPA is concerned about [the officer's] involvement in 10 collisions throughout his service, with eight being classified as preventable. OPA was not informed of these previous incidents and would have remained unaware of this incident but for the Complainant's referral to OPA. Initially, [the officer's] chain of command opted to address this incident internally, excluding OPA from the process. Therefore, OPA recommends SPD to establish objective standards and procedures to determine when and under which circumstances a preventable' collision must be referred to OPA."

I hope SPD and political leaders listen to the OPA's suggestions and take action to bring more transparency and seriousness to officer driving safety.