SEATTLE — Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell told KIRO 7 that he believes he was racially profiled in an incident that led to his arrest, and subsequent charges dropped, nearly three decades ago.
According to an Ohama World article from 1996, Harrell, then 38, was arrested in the parking lot of Ameristar Casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa, for an alleged confrontation over a parking space. Harrell allegedly brandished a gun, the Omaha World-Herald reported.
An investigation determined the clip was not in the gun at the time of the altercation.
Harrell told authorities at the time that he was carrying a gun because he had received death threats after being nominated to fill a position on the Omaha Housing Authority.
In a statement to KIRO 7, Harrell explained his side of the story:
“Nearly 30 years ago, I received a nomination for appointment to a controversial affordable housing board. I received a deluge of calls opposing my nomination, including death threats. As a Black man newly relocated to a Midwestern community, I had a handgun in my car for the safety of myself and my wife. Just after midnight, having received these threats, I was approached by multiple people in a parking lot. Not knowing their intentions and fearing for my life, I referenced being in possession of a handgun, which was unloaded, and showed it to them.
“While in the parking lot, we realized that there was a misunderstanding, and we amicably settled the dispute, entering the establishment together. However, I was then racially profiled by a private security officer and detained for having the gun in my car. Knowing all the facts, the prosecutor asked to drop the charges and a judge agreed. I pursued legal recourse after my constitutional rights were violated by an illegal search.
“Because of this situation, and other instances from my youth of being unfairly targeted by bias, this is one reason I have been a strong advocate for police accountability — including advocating for SPD to join the consent decree, and why I proposed and passed Seattle’s bias free policing law. This is also why I’ve fought for racial equity and opportunity through initiatives like ‘Ban the Box,’ recognizing that people of color are disproportionately likely to be arrested, and too many are not in a position to prove their innocence and get a second chance.”
Harrell was an attorney at the time in Omaha, Nebraska, and withdrew his name for consideration of the housing authority position after his arrest.
He was arrested on Sept. 27, 1996, for possession of a concealed weapon, assault use/display of a weapon (both misdemeanors) and interference with official acts, according to court records from Iowa.
The charges were dropped in March 1997.
The Omaha World-Herald reported in 1997 that Harrell met “several requirements” set by then-Pottawattamie County Attorney Rick Crowl and apologized to arresting officers.
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