Full control of police practices 15 years after an officer killed John T. Williams, feds lift oversight of the Seattle Police Department
The U.S. Department of Justice returned full control of the Seattle Police Department to the city, ending 13 years of federal oversight that began after the police killing of Indigenous woodcarver John T. Williams in 2010. The consent decree addressed issues such as use of force and accountability, with significant reforms implemented over the years. The Seattle City Council recently revised crowd control policies, fulfilling the final requirements for lifting the federal oversight.