Seattle firefighters and senior Amazon financial analyst arrested for brutal beating of homeless men

[Emily]

http://q13fox.com/2014/03/17/seattle-firefighter-accused-in-attack-on-homeless-has-history-of-aggression/

20 hours ago
by Dana Rebik
Q13 FOX News Reporter

Seattle firefighter [] is accused of an attack on a homeless man in Occidental Park on Saturday, March 15.

SEATTLE ? Two off-duty Seattle firefighters and a female Amazon employee have been accused of beating two homeless men in Occidental Park at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

Witnesses allege it was the woman, Amazon senior finance analyst [], who started it.

?We believe Ms. [] was an instigator in this. Multiple witnesses say she is the primary assailant. This is a vicious, unprovoked attack on a defenseless person. The allegation is she kicked away a man?s food and then kicked him multiple times while he was lying on the ground,? said deputy King County prosecutor Jessica Munca in court documents Monday.

...

This isn?t the first time [the firefighter] is accused of being aggressive. In 1995 in Florida, he was arrested for discharging a firearm in public. In 2012, Seattle police say, he and [senior Amazon financial analyst] were involved in a road rage incident where they claimed to have a firearm...

I redacted the names of the arrested. I think the Seattle police and the prosecutor have done a good job of respecting the human rights of the homeless victims in this case, including their right to defend themselves from a vicious attack.
The fire department has at least apologized and promised to look into the matter. Amazon has made no remark about examining their own corporate culture in response to a senior level employee being involved in not one, but two violent attacks.

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Seattle-firefighter-stabbed-during-fight-in-Pioneer-Square-250522681.html

By KOMO Staff Published: Mar 16, 2014 at 8:24 AM PDT Last Updated: Mar 17, 2014 at 5:57 PM PDT

...

Steve Banfield was walking his dog nearby when he saw things escalate.

"While I was on the phone with 911, the second man of the original three got into a fight with another homeless man, taking the homeless man's walking stick from him and beating him with it," Banfield said.


...
Police said the woman and off-duty firefighters were under the influence of alcohol during the incident.

"I don't think it was just the individual, I think it's the thing that's happening down here," Taliaferro said. "All homeless are put in a category, and people have a tendency to disrespect the homeless."