Overturned Findings

What is a Reversed or Overturned Finding?

The Chief of Police has authority over discipline of SPD employees. This includes the ability to overturn OPA’s sustained findings and recommended discipline. When this occurs, the Chief is required under SMC 3.29.135(B) to issue a letter to the Mayor and City Council President providing an explanation for the reversal.

OPA attends a discipline meeting prior to issuing a discipline recommendation to the Chief. Discipline meeting attendees generally include the OPA Director, the employee's chain of command (Captain and Assistant Chief), a representative from SPD Human Resources, and SPD legal counsel. For more information on how recommendations for discipline are made, see Volume 24 of OPA’s Case & Policy Update.

The table below shows OPA sustained findings that the Chief has reversed since 2015. Case numbers link to OPA's closed case summary of the incident. The table also shows whether the employee's chain of command agreed or disagreed with OPA's findings at the discipline meeting, as well as the Chief's final determination on findings and discipline.

Case Number Chain of Command Chief's Letter Date Outcome
2020OPA-0334 Agreed May 12, 2021 Reversed in Full
2018OPA-1037 Disagreed July 30, 2019 Reversed in Full
2018OPA-0243 Agreed November 20, 2018 Reversed in Full
2017OPA-0859 Disagreed June 20, 2018 Reversed in Full
2017OPA-0950 Disagreed June 20, 2018 Reversed in Full
2017OPA-0153 Agreed November 3, 2017 Reversed in Part
2016OPA-0281 Agreed October 27, 2016 Reversed in Full
2015OPA-1149 Disagreed April 8, 2016 Reversed in Full
2015OPA-0117 Agreed September 15, 2015 Reversed in Part

Office of Police Accountability

Gino Betts, Director
Address: 720 3rd Avenue, 18th Floor, Seattle, WA , 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 34986, Seattle, WA , 98124-4986
Phone: (206) 684-8797
opa@seattle.gov
Contact Us

Newsletter Updates

Subscribe

Sign up for the latest updates from Office of Police Accountability