SEATTLE — A veteran Seattle police officer has been suspended for five days without pay for an expletive-laced pursuit three years ago in which she referred to a suspect as a “Negro,” punctuated with an obscenity.
Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole imposed the discipline Feb. 10 on Sgt. Lora Alcantara, adding three days to an original recommendation of a two-day suspension.
“Your language, and particularly your use of the term ‘(expletive) Negro’ to describe a suspect was totally unacceptable,” O’Toole wrote in a disciplinary report that cited the f-word.
Alcantara, who is white, also was ordered to undergo retraining in department policies regarding profanity, derogatory language and race and social justice.
Video of the incident recorded on Alcantara’s dashboard camera recently surfaced on YouTube.
The incident occurred on Feb. 27, 2013, more than a year before O’Toole became chief but after the city agreed in 2012 to adopt federally mandated reforms to curb excessive force and biased policing.
Alcantara, 46, who joined the department in 1993, was an officer at the time. She was promoted to sergeant in April 2014 before the incident came to light.
Alcantara, while in her patrol car, chased a car driven by a wanted male suspect, who fled from her and was subsequently involved in several hit-and-run collisions.
During the pursuit, Alcantara swore at least 10 times over a span of about 10 minutes, according to the disciplinary report. She can be heard on the video repeatedly using the f-word.
While impounding the suspect’s then-unoccupied vehicle, Alcantara described the events to her sergeant using language that showed “contempt” or “disrespect” for the suspect based on race, the report says.
“While inside your vehicle and out of earshot of anyone other than your sergeant, you commented: ‘The (expletive) Negro, as I was crossing the street, the guy went through the alley,’ “ the report says.
Alcantara, during the internal investigation, explained she was talking to herself and expressing frustration during the pursuit, while recognizing her patrol car was part of her workplace.
She said she used Negro as a “descriptor” without intending it to be racially derogatory.
Alcantara acknowledged her language was unacceptable, according to the report.
In retrospect, the report adds, Alcantara recognized her words could be viewed by others as suggesting contempt toward African Americans and could undermine public trust in her and the department.
“You expressed remorse for your actions and apologized for your language,” O’Toole noted in the report.
O’Toole wrote that such language wouldn’t be tolerated and found the “gravity” of the offense justified an increase in the suspension.
