Seattle bus tunnel victim says she asked police for help before attack
By APFriday, February 12, 2010
Bus tunnel victim says she sought help from police
SEATTLE — A teenage girl beaten in a Seattle bus tunnel as three security guards who were following company orders looked on says she sought help from the guards and police but was rebuffed.
At a news conference Friday, 15-year-old Aiesha Steward-Baker said she asked Seattle police at a shopping center and Macy’s for help several times in the hour before the Jan. 28 attack.
Video of the beating has prompted outrage and a re-examination of security in the tunnel.
The victim was punched, stomped and kicked by another teen girl but not seriously injured.
Police say they did everything they could to separate the girl from another group, but didn’t witness unlawful behavior before the attack. Late Friday, the Seattle Police Department announced it was conducting an internal review of the officers’ actions to determine whether enough was done.
