An off-duty Seattle police officer is being commended for stepping in to assist VPD officers following an assault.
Just before 10 p.m. on March 11th, police were called to the area of Robson and Cardero Street after a 9-1-1 call reporting three men hitting a person on the ground. Officers arrived and found a group of men standing over an intoxicated person. Based on his condition, officers called for an ambulance to assess his well-being and detained him for being drunk in a public place.
Claiming to be the drunken person’s friends, the men allegedly became combative with police, as did the intoxicated man, and the officers quickly found themselves fighting at least three attackers. An off-duty Seattle police officer who witnessed the altercation quickly came to the officers’ aid. The incident was brought under control with the help of the Seattle police officer, and the three men were arrested.
Twenty-one year-old Chitsanuphong Chaithanayot has been charged with assaulting a police officer and has since been released from custody. The other two men were released without charge.
“I would like to publicly thank the Seattle police officer for his actions,” says VPD Chief Constable Adam Palmer. “Regardless of which side of the border you work on, it’s great to know our officers are there for each other when you need them.”
