tammy morales seattle police officer racist sexist language

A Seattle City Council member is calling for the Seattle Police Department to take action after another officer was allegedly caught on a recording using derogatory and offensive language.

"How can SPD expect the public to trust them while it remains silent as these incidents happen? What does SPD leadership plan to do to regain control of the department, address its toxic culture, and rebuild this complete breaking of trust?" Councilmember Tammy Morales said in a statement.

"The reality is that no other city employee would be excused from this behavior, where they can laugh and joke about killing somebody, spit racist slurs, and continue taking home a six-figure paycheck."

The statement came within hours after The Stranger published a report Friday about an ongoing dispute between a Seattle police officer and his Kenmore neighbors. The Stranger published audio from one interaction in 2022. In it, Officer Burton Hill can allegedly be heard using sexist language and a racial slur when addressing his Chinese-American neighbor. A complaint has been filed with Seattle's Office of Police Accountability.