The Marshall Project has a round-up this week of choice Facebook comments from police officers on the people they police. From Texas to New York City to Florida, some officers are airing their prejudices on Facebook–(perhaps, not fully understanding that not all FB friends are actually your friends?)–and confirming longstanding concerns around their hiring, vetting and accountability. And one Seattle case in particular is forcing a stronger association to be made between what officers say online and abuses they perpetrate or tolerate on the street.

TMP’s roundup was inspired by Facebook comments reportedly made by white female Seattle police officer Cynthia Whitlatch who in the must-watch 20-minute dashcam footage above, arrests William Wingate, 69, without apparent cause (begin at 1:40). The July 2014 video, obtained via public records request and released last week by The Stranger led to the officer being placed on desk duty. Next came the public release of her Facebook comments–

"If you believe that blacks are NOT accusing white America for their problems then you are missing the point of the riots in Ferguson and the chronic black racism that far exceeds any white racism in this country. I am tired of black peoples paranoia that white people are out to get them. I am tired of hearing a black racist tell me the only reason they are being contacted is because they are black solely because I am NOT black."

—and e-mails subsequently obtained by The Seattle Times this week. Whitlatch is now on home leave with pay and an internal investigation is underway. After being arrested, placed in a paddy wagon and spending a night in jail, Wingate had been prosecuted. He now intends to sue.

According to The Stranger, "Officer Whitlatch is one of 123 police officers who sued the government last year…to block the Department of Justice-ordered use of force policies." Seattle’s police department has been under a consent decree since 2012 for having engaged in "a pattern or practice of excessive force."

Read more about this developing story on The Stranger. 

h/t TMP