Bloglander

The odds improved this week for Spokane Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick and other candidates seeking to become the new chief in Seattle when two of the 11 semifinalists dropped out. But two possible complications emerged: A video from April 17 surfaced last night showing a Seattle officer stomping on a prone detainee and using racial slurs. And a political rival to Mayor Mike McGinn has been pushing for the new chief to reflect cutting-edge approaches to law enforcement espoused by a visiting UCLA professor.

Adam Burden, former assistant chief in Miami, told the Seattle search committee on Wednesday that, because of a surgery, he was unable to give the interview process his full effort. Previously, Judy Bradshaw, chief in Des Moines, Iowa, said she had reconsidered and withdrew. The Des Moines mayor boosted her salary by $13,000 (to $146,935) to induce her to stay. Read a brief story here and here.

Today's coverage of the apparent police stomping can be found here on the Seattle Times site. Interim Seattle Chief John Diaz, one of the nine remaining candidates, has begun an investigation. So has the city's Office of Professional Accountability, led by its police ombudsman.

The 26-member search committee will interview all the remaining nine candidates tomorrow in closed meetings and expect to forward three names to Mayor McGinn by Tuesday, May 11.