When police are accused of excessive force, sexual assault, or racial bias, it is important to have an experienced Seattle police brutality attorney on your side. Yvonne Ward has helped victims of abuse by police and has lectured to other lawyers on civil rights cases that involve jail deaths and prisoners’ rights. She has been a member of the Washington State Association for Justice for more than 25 years and is the co-author of the prisoner’s rights section in the current edition of the Washington Criminal Law Deskbook.

Seattle Police Brutality Attorney: Fighting for Justice

A federal court judge recently ruled that the City of Seattle and the Seattle Police Department must remain under federal supervision until they address serious concerns regarding their use of force. The judge’s decision is in response to a lawsuit brought by Black Lives Matter Seattle and several other community organizations.

One of the most controversial police incidents to draw national attention involves the fatal shooting by SPD Officer Ian Birk of Native American woodcarver John Williams in August 2010. King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg decided not to file charges against the police officer despite damning evidence that Birk had shot the man four times in the back, and that he may have been trying to break down his car windows and rob him.

Budge & Heipt is an established Seattle firm that has represented many victims of police misconduct. Our attorneys are well-versed in state and federal laws regarding police misconduct. When we represent clients, we carefully examine all available evidence and conduct a thorough investigation of the incident to determine whether there are grounds for filing criminal charges or a civil lawsuit seeking compensation for injuries caused by the police officers involved.