[WA] SPD Officer Donnie Lowe and the vanishing domestic violence charges

SEATTLE POLICE LT. DONNIE LOWE

...A responding police officer reported smelling the odor of alcohol on Lowe and that his wife was crying and upset... Lowe's wife called 911 to report that he had assaulted her... But she refused medical treatment, wouldn't give a statement and told an officer, "I don't want him to go to jail"... She also declined assistance from a victim-support team... Five witnesses, mostly relatives, refused to provide written statements after implicating Lowe... She also declined to be photographed after the incident...

[See comments below for update]

POLICE LIEUTENANT ACCUSED OF VIOLATING NO-CONTACT ORDER REACHES DEAL WITH COURT
The Seattle Times
by Jennifer Sullivan
February 8, 2013
A Seattle police lieutenant charged with violating a domestic-violence court order reached an agreement this morning that could lead to the charge being dropped. Under the dispositional continuance, the case against Lt. Donnie Lowe will be pending for 12 months... [Full article here]

DOMESTIC-VIOLENCE CHARGE AGAINST SEATTLE COP MAY BE DROPPED
Seattle Times
By Jennifer Sullivan
February 8, 2013
[Excerpts] ...If [Seattle Police Lt. Donnie] Lowe complies with certain conditions - no criminal law violations, carries no weapons except his service weapon and pays court costs - the charge will be dismissed in a year... Lowe was acquitted by a jury last year of misdemeanor domestic violence for allegedly assaulting his wife. But while awaiting trial, Lowe was accused of violating the no-contact order... He previously was disciplined after he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence... Lowe also received internal reprimands for inappropriate physical treatment of a handcuffed son... and over an improper effort to retrieve from a man nude photographs of a female acquaintance... [Full article here]

EXCERPTS FROM WEB COMMENTS:

...If his wife had just obeyed the officer's orders none of this would have happened...

..."A checkered history" but a Lieutenant nonetheless. So a few questions: Why is he a Lieutenant if he has a checkered history?... Why does he still have a gun and a badge? It seems as if he has been caught battering his wife, violating a restraining order and lying....

...Down in Pierce, even the Chief of Police was ignored until he murdered his wife. Ten years ago in April. Nothing has changed at all...

...A good friend of mine, an exemplary police officer about to be involved in a messy divorce, was accused of domestic violence (untrue) by a vengeful soon to be ex-spouse. This accusation caused the officer to be removed from street duty, stripped of his arrest powers and gun, and placed on desk duty until the charges were investigated and proven false. He was lucky – he knew officers in other departments who actually lost their jobs. A charge of domestic violence against a serving police officer can indeed be devastating...

...Juries are especially reluctant to convict cops. Sadly cops can get away with a life of crime - this article highlights a prime example...

...Fire him. This will not be the last time we hear about this guys conduct. He will be in trouble again...

...No penalty for lying about his wife? ...

...His behavior over time appears to be such that he shouldn't be in a 'police' position...

...How many breaks does this guy get? His history indicates he is a bad actor. His level of maturity and his temperment are not adequate or proper for him to be a Police Officer...

...This should be an amazing and shocking story of corruption in our police department. Unfortunately, for most living in Seattle, this is just another bad cop getting away with crimes the rest of us would spent time in jail for... Why aren't the good guys speaking out?...

...A police officer sworn to uphold the law intentionally disregards and violates a court order, and the prosecution allows him to skate without seeking a conviction. Shameful! I wonder what other laws this officer will violate when he finds it convenient to do so...

...I am a veteran member of the Seattle Police Department. There are a few members of the command staff who time and again violate laws, policies, and ethics codes, and do so with impunity because of the power inherent in their positions and their ability to make problems, “go away,” for one another. These transgressions in and of themselves are damaging enough to the Department and to community trust in the Department, but their actions and lack of accountability send a message to other members of the Department: It’s ok to violate the law. It’s ok to routinely play in the gray areas…in fact, depending on your position—if you’d like to keep it—we expect you to behave as we do. It is my opinion that the few bad apples in the command staff are the single biggest factor that created the SPD culture that allowed the incidents that led to your monitoring the SPD to occur. Today a Lieutenant, Donnie Lowe, apparently received a dispositional continuance for a domestic violence criminal law violation... I ask the DOJ Monitor and the public to closely watch the administrative investigation of Lt. Lowe’s actions and the outcome of the investigation. Pay attention to who comes to Lt. Lowe’s aid and the rationales used when,--not IF, but WHEN--Lt. Lowe is allowed to keep not only his job, but his rank... I fear that will not happen and instead the public and the members of the Department will once again be sent the wrong message. It is ok to violate the law. It is ok to ignore a judge’s order. It is ok to lie. In fact, you may be rewarded for it. SPD has a history of not just turning a blind eye to this sort of thing, but acknowledging and rationalizing it...

...Thank you so much SPD Emp!!! As I have been saying, we need to good guys to speak up. Even if it is just a commentary post on a public forum, maybe you can be a great beginning. In Spokane there are a couple posters who claim to be cops. They routinely shed light on the darkness of police information. I think they were instrumental in getting Karl the Klubber convicted in the beating of Otto Zehm. SPD needs a couple good guys to post and let the people know what is really going on behind the great blue wall of Seattle. Where are the feds when you need them?...

...If lying, ignoring judges orders and domestic violence are on this person's resume, he should NEVER be allowed to carry a gun again!!!...

...The only reason he gets away this this type of behavior is because hes black! Don't believe me... show me just one white officer with this douchebags record that is still a cop....

...What is even more disappointing is how the court system can condone this. Disgusting!...

...And he was put in charge of the 20/20 plan! Something is wrong here...

...This officer has been allowed to keep his service weapon? Didn't a local Chief of Police murder his wife with his service weapon, here, about ten years ago? Hopefully, none of us, especially the family of this officer will have to endure this again. If SPD feels the need to keep him on staff, fine. Let's just hope they also see the need of those who may need to be protected from him... [LINK]

EXCERPTS FROM LAST YEARS NEWS:

SEATTLE POLICE LIEUTENANT ARRESTED AFTER DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INCIDENT
KOMO STAFF
Sunday, June 3, 2012
A Seattle Police lieutenant who had a leadership role in the Seattle Police Department's 20/20 reform plan has been arrested and booked into King County jail for investigation of domestic violence assault... Lt. Donnie Lowe also was stripped of his badge and gun... officers responded to a report of a domestic violence assault involving an off-duty Seattle Police lieutenant. Patrol officers conducted a preliminary investigation and placed Lt. Lowe under arrest. [LINK]

SEATTLE PD LIEUTENANT, REFORM PLAN LEADER, ARRESTED FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
by KING 5 News
June 4, 2012
Seattle police officers booked Lt. Donnie Lowe into the King County jail Saturday night... this is not his first brush with the law. According to a probable cause document, Lowe got into an argument with his wife over their son. Lowe allegedly pushed his wife against the wall and slapped her in the face... Lowe was then booked into the King County Jail... He is being represented by attorney John Henry Browne, who has taken on a number of local high profile caes. Chief John Diaz has asked that another law enforcement agency conduct the investigation into Lowe... Lowe served as a team leader in Leader section the department's 20/20 vision initiative... The Office of Professional Accountability will monitor the criminal investigation and begin its own administrative investigation... Lowe was arrested in November 2008 on suspicion of DUI on Interstate 5 in Seattle with a blood alcohol level of 0.113 percent. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving, but the charge was dismissed after he completed alcohol-information school, probation, community service and other terms. He also received a written reprimand for what was described as "inappropriate physical contact" with his 13-year-old son in a jail cell in 2006. The boy had been arrested for allegedly obstructing officers and was handcuffed... Lowe also received an oral reprimand after entering someone's home in 2002 to try recovering nude photos of a female relative... [LINK]

SEATTLE POLICE ARREST 'VISIONARY' LIEUTENANT
KIROTV
Sunday, June 3, 2012
[Excerpts] ...[Seattle police] Deputy Chief Nick Metz and Captain Neil Low responded to the scene Saturday night to relieve Lowe of duty and took possession of his badge and gun.... Lowe is no stranger to the other side of the law. In November 2008, he was cited for drunken driving after swerving in lanes on southbound Interstate 5. According to the Washington State Patrol, his blood alcohol content was .113% Lowe initially pleaded not guilty to DUI and later guilty to reckless driving. In return, he received a deferred sentence of 2 years, paid a fine and had to attend alcohol information classes in addition to 10 hours of community service. He was able to keep his drivers license. In his 20 years of service, there are additional blemishes on his record. According to the Seattle Times, Lt. Lowe received written reprimand in 2006 after his then 13-year-old son alleged he was punched and pushed up against a holding cell wall... [LINK]

SEATTLE POLICE LIEUTENANT ARRESTED AFTER DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INCIDENT
KOMO
Jun 3, 2012
[Excerpts] A Seattle police lieutenant who had a leadership role in the Seattle Police Department's 20/20 reform plan has been arrested and booked into King County jail for investigation of domestic violence assault, officials said.... officers responded to a report of a domestic violence assault... Seattle Capt. Neil Low then responded to the scene at the direction of Deputy Police Chief Nick Metz... Effective immediately, Lt. Lowe also has been removed from his role in the leadership section of SPD 20/20, the reform plan launched by the Seattle Police Department following a U.S. Justice Department investigation... In November 2008, he was charged with drunken driving after blowing a 0.113 on a breath-alcohol test after a traffic stop Nov.... The legal limit is 0.08. Despite the arrest, Lowe was allowed to travel in January 2009 with then-Chief Gil Kerlikowske and a contingent of officers to join other departments in beefing up security for the inauguration of President Obama. That angered some rank-and-file officers who thought Lowe benefited from preferential treatment. Lowe, who is among the highest-ranking African-American officers in the police department, also has garnered internal disciplinary records for incidents that include a controversial arrest and striking his own son while the teenager was in a police holding cell... In the latter case, Lowe, who was off duty, was found to have used his authority to gain access to the cell, yet he did not receive harsh discipline. [LINK]

POLICE OFFICIAL PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN SEATTLE
Seattle Times
By Steve Miletich
June 5, 2012
[Excerpts] A Seattle police lieutenant pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of domestic-violence assault Monday, one day after his arrest... [Seattle Police Lieutenant Donnie] Lowe, 45, who had been serving as an acting captain before his arrest, was ordered held in lieu of $7,500 bail. King County Jail records showed he was no longer in custody later in the day. The City Attorney's Office filed the criminal charge Monday, which carries a penalty of up to one year in jail... At a brief hearing at the jail, Seattle Municipal Court Judge Willie J. Gregory said Lowe is alleged to have pushed his wife against a wall and slapped her face during an argument over their son. A responding police officer reported smelling the odor of alcohol on Lowe and that his wife was crying and upset... Gregory ordered Lowe to stay away from his wife under a no-contact order. The alleged incident occurred late Saturday in the South Seattle home of the couple, who have been married for 10 years and have two children... Lowe's wife called 911 to report that he had assaulted her, according to a Police Department report released Monday. But she refused medical treatment, wouldn't give a statement and told an officer, "I don't want him to go to jail," the report said. She also declined assistance from a victim-support team... Five witnesses, mostly relatives, refused to provide written statements after implicating Lowe... Lowe's attorney, John Henry Browne, said Lowe's wife, who attended the court hearing, has related to authorities that she does not want her husband to be prosecuted and that she does not fear him or want a no-contact order, Browne said... Lowe appeared calm when an officer arrived, the report said. He directed the officer downstairs to his wife, according to the report. While arguing, she reported, Lowe pushed her against a wall with his left arm across her upper chest, and slapped her face with his open right hand, the report said. Her face, neck and upper chest had a "reddish coloration," but it was unclear if that was from an injury or her crying, the officer wrote. One witness, her brother, told police he pulled her away from Lowe because the argument was "getting heated," according to the report. Another of her brothers told police he assisted in breaking the two apart, while a third brother reported he helped separate the couple and that he was "holding Donnie back," the report said. Her sister told police that Lowe pushed his wife against a wall with his forearm under her chin and slapped her face... A fifth witness, whose relationship to the wife wasn't determined, said Lowe... [LINK]

On Facebook: KOMO News:
- WTG SPD. King County are you paying attention? Police your ranks...
- It sounds like this guy should have been fired a long time ago...
- I was married to a man in uniform. They think they are untouchable...
- we still can not condemn the men. Sorry if you had some sorrow .. but we still need to be merciful...
- Wow!! I can't even believe what I'm reading. Am I really watching a woman make an excuse for an abusive man? Officer or not, he drove drunk, he hit his child in police custody, and now is having domestic violence issues...
- I support law inforcement and the stress they take on but any GOOD officer knows their rescources and learns to manage with there day to day stresses with out bringing them home.... [LINK]

SEATTLE POLICE LIEUTENANT FOUND NOT GUILTY OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: Jury rejects city's case against Donnie Lowe, whose arrest led to his removal from the Seattle Police Department reform efforts.
Seattle Times
By Steve Miletich
September 26, 2012
[Excerpts] In a case that led to his removal from the Seattle Police Department's reform efforts, Lt. Donnie R. Lowe was found not guilty Wednesday of assaulting his wife... [Lowe's attorney John Henry Browne] asked where was Lowe's wife, who did not testify during the two-day trial. Browne then asked, "How can I cross examine a 911 tape?" — a reply to the prosecutor's main piece of evidence, a snippet of an emergency call placed by Lowe's wife on June 2, in which she said he had hurt her by grabbing her neck and slapping her... "The city has no case," he said... Lowe's wife, Nanette, who had previously indicated she did not want her husband prosecuted, declined to testify at the trial, leaving city prosecutors with little evidence... Lowe faces a second trial on a charge of knowingly violating a court order to stay away from his wife while awaiting trial in the domestic-violence case... The Police Department's Office of Professional Accountability will conduct internal investigations of the June and August incidents, but not until the remaining case is resolved... Lowe has a checkered history with the department. He previously was disciplined after he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence [suspended 4 days]... Lowe also received internal reprimands for inappropriate physical treatment of a handcuffed son... and over an improper effort to retrieve from a man nude photographs of a female acquaintance... [LINK]
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