OPA investigation shows Seattle officers waited 40 minutes to respond to domestic disturbance call

SEATTLE – According to a new report from the Office of Police Accountability, officers waited 40 minutes to respond to a domestic disturbance call in June 2023.

The final report, published about a year later, shows that as part of the investigation, the police suspended a supervisor for one day and issued a written warning to a patrol officer.

On June 4, 2023, a call for help came in at 4:58 a.m. A woman said her ex-boyfriend was drunk, pushed her, and refused to leave. Officers arrived and found the ex-boyfriend sleeping in the back seat of a car. They told him not to return home, but about half an hour later, she said he knocked on her door again. She called 911 again, but no help came. After the first call, she called two more times.

An investigation revealed that an officer was at the Starbucks on Elliott Avenue West for 40 minutes before responding. The officer’s supervisor said she was there with officers in a social situation and did not think the call required an immediate response.

The director of the Office of Police Accountability disagreed, noting that this is a higher priority than a social gathering at Starbucks, adding that domestic disputes can quickly escalate into explosive or deadly situations.

Response times continue to be an issue at City Hall.

Greg Doss, a senior analyst, told a council committee during a May 28 meeting: “Response times are generally increasing across the board. That has been the case for a couple of years.”

Council members say they have taken note of the complaints.

“I would really like to have detailed data on what types of calls people are being told they won’t be answered, or that don’t get an answer at all, or that don’t get an answer for four, five, six hours,” said Seattle City Council member Cathy Moore.