SEATTLE
Conflicting reports are emerging about when two King County Sheriff’s deputies identified themselves to a man who ran from them Sunday morning in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood.
Christopher Harris, 29, is now on life support in a coma with severe head injuries after hitting his head on a wall as he was being arrested.
According to the Seattle Times, an attorney for Harris’ family says deputies Matthew Paul and Joseph Eshom both wore black uniforms and yelled at Harris from a half-block away in a darkened alley. Attorney Sim Osborn says one witness reported the deputies did not identify themselves as officers until Harris began running down the alley. Osborn said Harris eventually stopped running after realizing who was chasing him.
But other witnesses say they thought Paul and Eshom yelled “police” right away.
A King County sheriff’s spokesman, Sgt. John Urquhart, would not comment to the Times because the investigation is still ongoing.
The arrest happened outside the Cinerama Theater and there is surveillance video that reportedly gives a clear view of the arrest. Urquhart said the sheriff’s office plans to release the video after the initial investigation is completed.
Osborn said he hasn’t seen the video, but he says a witness told investigators that Harris held his hands up and then was blindsided.
"From what I understand, the video is fairly sickening,” Osborn told the Times.
Paul, 26, is the one who made the arrest. Urquhart says he is being placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard in cases like these. Eshom, 28, will be back on the job tonight. Both are assigned to the graveyard shift for Metro Transit police, which patrols bus routes and shelters.
On Sunday morning at about 1 a.m., the pair was on foot patrol when they responded to a stabbing at a convenience store. The sheriff’s office said someone identified Harris as a suspect, leading to the chase and arrest. Surveillance video from the convenience store shows Harris was not involved in the stabbing, but the deputies did not know that at the time.
It’s still not clear why Harris ran in the first place. Doctors can’t yet say if Harris will recover.
After the sheriff’s office investigation, Seattle police will conduct a review to confirm the findings. Harris’ family wants an independent investigation by the Washington State Patrol.
Even if they are cleared of criminal wrongdoing, Paul and Eshom could face disciplinary action by the department.
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http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009213641_arrest13m.html
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