SEATTLE (AP) — A civilian oversight board says some Seattle police officers routinely — and illegally — ignored state and city mask mandates during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and refused to obey direct orders from the chief to comply.
The Seattle Times reports that a recently released review by the Office of Inspector General exposed a “serious cultural issue” within the department. The report states the department was fined $17,500 last year after receiving two notices of “serious violations” of the Washington Administrative Code over officers’ refusal to comply with the mandates after inspections by the state Department of Labor and Industries.