Late yesterday evening, the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle contacted the Seattle Police Department on behalf of Angel Rosenthal, the 17-year-old teen who was involved in the officer assault incident, Monday, June 14th. The incident was caught on tape and the video has been seen around the world.
The teenager and her legal team, along with Mr. James Kelly, President and CEO of the Urban League approached the Seattle Police Department regarding the young woman’s desire to meet with Officer Walsh and apologize for her role in the unfortunate incident. .
This morning, there was a meeting between Officer Walsh and the 17-year-old girl. At the meeting the young woman apologized to Walsh for her actions and comments during the incident. Officer Walsh accepted the young woman’s apology. This meeting can be credited to President James Kelly. Also present and supporting these efforts were Rich O’Neill, President of the Seattle Police Officer’s Guild, Deputy Chief Nick Metz and Rev. Reggie Witherspoon, Pastor of Mount Calvary Christian Center.
Interim Chief John Diaz said, “Officer Walsh was approached about this and agreed to meet with this young woman. He did not have to do this, but he felt it was an important first step in the beginning of the healing process. I want to personally thank Officer Walsh for his willingness to participate in this dialogue in what has been, undoubtedly, a very stressful period. I would also like to thank Angel. I think her willingness to reach out to Officer Walsh shows bravery and maturity. We hope that this meeting will take the focus off the video clip and place it where it belongs, the need for the renewed commitment to a conversation about race and social justice in this city.”
In a letter from Dan Satterberg, the charging decision in this case lies with the King County Prosecutors Office and that decision had no bearing on this meeting. The 17-year-old will be charged with 1 count of Assault 3.