A Bellevue police officer who was seriously hurt while escorting Vice President Kamala Harris’ motorcade last year has taken a swipe at the city of Bellevue’s policies after his benefits expired last week.
Motorcycle Officer Kevin Bereta was part of a team of officers who helped clear the roadway for Harris during a visit to Seattle in August. During the ride, Bereta struck the side of the Michigan Street onramp and fell up to 60 feet onto the southbound lanes of Interstate 5, suffering significant injuries to his back, leg and shoulder, according to a statement from a Bellevue Police Department spokesperson at the time.
Bereta, who has three kids and has worked for the department since 2018, spent three weeks in the hospital. By February, Bereta was still unable to work, according to a statement from his attorney, Karen Koehler, a senior managing partner at the Stritmatter, Kessler, Koehler, Moore law firm in Seattle.
Under the contract between the Bellevue Police Officers’ Guild and the city of Bellevue, Bereta had six months to recover and return to work, or he would lose his benefits, the law firm said in a news release last week.
The guild asked the city to make an exception and extend Bereta’s benefits but “ran into a brick wall,” the law firm alleged. Bereta asked his physician to return to work on “light duty” to retain his benefits, but his doctors advised against it, the law firm continued.
“Officer Bereta served his city, state, and country. He did so faithfully and bravely,” Koehler said in a statement. “But where are the authorities now that he has been hurt in the line of duty? The City of Bellevue’s decision not to extend his disability leave supplement is callous, inhuman and frankly pathetic.”
In response, the city of Bellevue said city-provided benefits are consistent with other cities in the region and are ratified in agreement with employees’ unions.
“The city has a duty to administer our policies consistently and we are in the process of evaluating these policies to ensure they reflect our value of commitment to employees and responsible stewardship to the community we serve,” the city’s statement said.
In a statement, the police union said it has worked continuously to find a solution with the Police Department and city, but “no solution has been made available.” The guild urged the city to further pursue options for Bereta to retain his benefits before returning to full duty.
“It is incredibly hurtful to all Bellevue officers to watch Kevin, who has suffered such a severe on-duty injury, be treated in such a nonchalant manner,” the union said.
Bereta and his attorney alleged the incident was so severe because a railing on the side of the ramp where Bereta fell was too short. When his motorcycle hit the side of the ramp, Bereta tried to grab onto the railing but wasn’t able to do so.
“Because the railing was too short, he slid over the top and plunged 60 feet onto the highway below,” the law firm alleged in the news release.
That railing is about 30 inches high from the bridge deck to the top of the concrete rail and about 38 inches from the bridge deck to the top of the aluminum railing, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. Agency spokesperson Tina Werner said bridge engineers evaluated the railing last year and found it was “structurally sufficient.”
WSDOT policy enacted in 2014 says to design any new bridge with a standard rail height of 42 inches. National standards are that new bridges designed with a barrier system are built to 32 inches.
Seattle Times staff reporter Lauren Girgis contributed to this story.
