By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• Multiple Seattle Police Department officers have filed a proposed class action lawsuit alleging long-term exposure to carbon monoxide and vehicle exhaust at the West Precinct.
• The lawsuit claims the precinct’s underground garage, patrol deck, bullpen and sergeants’ offices were inadequately ventilated.
• Officers say they were exposed to exhaust fumes while performing duties over several years.
• The suit seeks legal remedies for unsafe workplace conditions.
• City responses and next legal steps are pending.
SEATTLE, WA — Multiple officers with the Seattle Police Department have filed a proposed class action lawsuit against city and department leaders, alleging years of exposure to carbon monoxide and other vehicle exhaust inside the West Precinct’s enclosed work areas.
The complaint, filed in King County Superior Court, claims the underground garage, patrol deck, bullpen and sergeants’ offices lacked adequate ventilation, exposing officers and other personnel to unsafe levels of exhaust while on duty.
According to the lawsuit, officers and employees routinely worked in areas where patrol vehicles remained running in confined spaces, potentially exposing as many as 200 personnel to hazardous conditions over several years.
The legal filing seeks damages and remedies related to the alleged unsafe workplace environment.
City officials and Seattle Police Department leadership have not yet publicly detailed a response, and further legal proceedings are pending.