Typical Halloween party
Melina Harris, a professional, union carpenter who lives in Kent, Washington, had a get-together with friends at her house on October 29th, 2011 Two officers were called to the house in regard to a noise complaint and as Melina explains below, the situation immediately turned violent as she tells here:
The photos you see, are of me moments after a short minor noise complaint call, I spoke to the older officer and refused to speak to the younger officer, as he was hyper aggressive and threatening.
I and the older officer concluded that just shutting the windows would suffice. That as well as turning down the stereo had already been done, as guests had noticed the police and I talking in the yard.
The older officer told the younger cop, “We are done here” and turned to leave and walked to his car, I turned and walked quickly toward the front door, before I made it, the younger cop, stepped into my path, accosted me with his flash light and then assaulted me, hitting me hard enough to leave a hole in my face 3/4″. The older officer could not and did not see the assault, as he had made if far enough down the drive, and with the slope, trees and a car parked in the way, his view was blocked. He came back up the drive in answer to a yell, (my scream for help) . To find me on the ground with the young officer straddling me.
Straddled
But for Melina the story didn’t end there. Instead of being able to bring to light the fact that the officer had hit her hard enough as she stood with her arm over her eyes, trying to block the flashlight, held close to her face, to put a 3/4 inch hole through her face. She was charged with assault on a police officer which is a felony charge. She attempted to fight the charges in court, but lost.
According to Melina, “The crime of being assaulted by a cop is a felony. Any time a situation gets out of hand and “Force” is used, the officer charges the citizen with assault, resisting or obstruction to cover their ass. Unfortunately this is also true if the officer doesn’t like what you have to say, or in this case, don’t say, and they reach out and knock you off your feet, for no better reason, than, they can. The County Prosecutors then press the charges and play the plea down game, to cover the ass of the city.””Reality sucks that King County Washington is actually one of the worst in the nation for protecting bad cops.”
Melina carried away
Of course those who follow cases of police brutality and have suffered it know full well that the “thin blue line” symbolizes not only solidarity among their job, but all too often also symbolizes the tendency of cops to protect their own, even in cases of abuse or transgression of authority. To many cops, the ethical difference between protecting to save each other’s lives or protecting to save each other’s reputation has become blurred, or even invisible.
Worse, in an effort to cover their tracks, as Melina mentions above, officers will all too often rationalize or belittle the damage done to not only justice, but to the victim’s life. As if the assault itself didn’t do enough damage, the victim must also face the bizarro world possibility of the cops claiming that the victim made an assault, or threatened them in some imagined way. This leaves the victim to defend themselves up against a group that has already established authority within the system; oftentimes cops that know the local prosecutors and judges and often have mutual respect for each other. Judges and prosecutors will most often believe those they know and trust, no matter how outrageous the claims or the evidence to support them (in this case the pictures that Melina had of her injuries).
Melina is facing the possibility of being sentenced to a number of years in prison; she already has a felony charge on her. As she states, “The maximum sentence for Assault of an officer is 5 years, maximum for obstruction is 3 years. I have no prior Felony so of course sentencing will be much less than that. ”
Awaiting transport
As Melina says, “I was asked to stand and take it as far as I could to address the issue of an officer who should not have a badge. If he decked me for ignoring him, imagine what will happen when someone in Righteous indignation tells him off?”
All too often people naively think that “taking a stand” and “going as far as you can” will somehow magically make the halls of justice ring out loud and clear. Unfortunately that does not happen as the wheels of justice will only move if someone in power to move them decides to. Unfortunately, by casting Melina not as the victim, but now in court as the defendant fighting to disprove happenings and actions that never existed, thus left to her to refute (try proving that something doesn’t exist if someone else, especially someone with credibility, insists it does).
Melina adds, “I was also asked to try to take the civil case for the assault and maiming, and resulting medical costs, as far as I can. Truth being, I cannot address that until the criminal case has been dealt with. I will be lucky to do so before the statute of limitations runs out. The appeal will likely take 2 years to come around.”
But Melina reminds that she cannot move on with a civil case until she the criminal case is out of the way, “I cannot, until I deal with the criminal charges, and then only if I win, put in a federal civil rights complaint that I was falsely arrested, falsely charged, and assaulted. Filing charges against the citizen narrows those pesky complaints down to about the same odds in our state as winning the lottery.”
Presently, while Melina waits for her sentencing which will be coming up in 3 days, she asks everyone to write to the persons listed below to at least draw attention to the case. “There are example letters now posted on the event page.” (http://www.facebook.com/events/501885959845258/).
Stitches
“If you wish to write a letter, saying how you see me as a human being, to be given to the judge before sentencing.” Melina also encourages people to write to the mayor of Kent, Washington, ” on your feelings about this incident and the out of control issue of police brutality.” She also has about 20 or so folks who have started a letter writing campaign to the governor asking for clemency in this case.In the interest of further drawing attention to the issue of police brutality, Melina suggests that people write to the Department of Justice Civil Rights, pointing up the need for a more thorough investigation into the Kent, Washington police department.
“It need not be fancy, Melina says, “it need not be long, but it will take hundreds to rattle cages to expand and up the priority of the subject of Police Brutality. Just make sure it’s from the heart, and that you add your name and mailing address. Please feel welcome to add your title, trade, local, etc. If you have a story of police brutality or misconduct, please share it in the letter.”
Melina says, “I am grateful for those of you writing in, it is the only thing that is bringing this case, into the light, with others of it’s kind. Welcome are letters from near and far, those who know me just enough, and those who know me all to well.”
Melina would like those who write a letter to send her a copy that she can archive for her hearing and appeal and she requests also that people cross-copy their letters to each of the different politicians and state and federal agencies responsible for over seeing and handling police abuse of authority and power. “One bad cop can seriously screw up thousands of lives in his career. So stand I have and this is what that means and what it takes. None of this has been pleasant. I am still stuck with the fact I was maimed that evening.”
“I cannot lift more than a pound or 3 above chest height, and I can’t do that very long, so of course, I cannot work as a union carpenter, until after I have surgery on both shoulder joints and then recuperate. Jobs with medical are slim at this time and so I am stuck in a common limbo, hence the work being done to address Americans lack of medical.”
Please cross-copy your letters to the following people:
“If you could copy and paste your letter on the event page to share with others to use as an example, it would be helpful. Some are better than others at letter writing, and seeing examples helps much.”
Melina Harris, shyeshye@gmail.com
Mayor Suzette Cooke, mayor@kentwa.gov
Chris Daniels, cdaniels@king5.com
Christine Clarridge, cclarridge@seattletimes.com
Kent Police Chief Ken Thomas at, KThomas@kentwa.gov
Kent Internal Investigations, Patrick Lowery, plowery@kentwa.gov
Public Defender Kristen Gestaut , Kristen.Gestaut@acapd.org
Washington State Clemency and Pardons Board, CPBoard@atg.wa.gov
WW DOJ Civil Rights, Special.Litigation@usdoj.gov
Governor Christine Gregoire Fax: (360) 753-4110
Progressive Action New Hampshire 
Letters are still needed, wanted and appreciated… Link to lightened video that was played at my trial taken from front porch, on a droid cell phone. http://youtu.be/xxqxjK6Lr-o
Please take a moment to write a letter about this outrageous but typical police brutality followed by the routine testilying and charg-the-victim ploy to prevent the victim suing the county. This is SOP all over the country, and it’s the surefire road to a police state. The Occupy People have had to put up with the pepper-sprayers, the head-crackers, and the taserings, and now the protesters against the planet-boilers of the fossil fuel industry are facing the same gauntlet. Send a message that this won’t be tolerated. The officer involved and the prosecutor responsible for the fraudlent indictment of the victim need to go to jail, the county needs to apologize to the victim, as well as compensate her for medical and other expenses and for damages.
Thanks , I have just been looking for info about this subject for a long time and yours is
the greatest I’ve found out so far. But, what about the conclusion? Are you sure about the source?
always i used to read smaller posts that as well clear their
motive, and that is also happening with this piece of writing
which I am reading here.
My 21 year old brother was also assaulted by the kent police dept early Sunday morning 12/15/2013. They too, charged him with obstructing justice- which is a complete joke. His back drivers window doesnt roll down and you have to open the door from the inside and because he couldnt do those things for this officer- he was ripped from his car while his partner punched him repeatedly. We are filing all complaints and meeting with lawyers as well. My brother had three other friends in the car with him- all of which witnessed the assault and two of which couldve driven his car for him to avoid it being impounded- costing us $324 alone! We can tlet the Kent Police Dept get away with these actions!
Krystal – I was assaulted by a Kent police officer on 12-13-2014. My front tooth broken, shoulder tendon impinged, and a bruise the size of a tennis ball on my chin. I am a 5’1″ white female and weigh 135 lbs. Now it has been almost 15 months and I am still unable to resume my regular job duties because of nerve damage caused by the assault. I would like to get enough people together to start a class action suit against the Kent PD as this is not the first time I have heard of such atrocities against Washington citizens in Kent. I have met and spoken to several other people who have suffered abuse of power and brutality by the Kent PD. Please contact me if your brother or any others you know of may be interested in making Kent a safe place for Washington state citizens and joining me in a class action suit.
Lori (Woman Business Owner, former citizen of Kent, WA, now residing in Fall City, WA)