The Seattle Police Department is apologizing for an assault rifle left unattended on the back of a patrol car Monday night, and has launched an investigation into the matter.
First published by The Stranger, Nick Gonzales snapped a picture last night of the menacing-looking rifle on the trunk of a Seattle Police car. It was around 9 p.m. and the car was parked outside the Roosevelt Hotel, near Pine and 7th Avenue, with no police officers in sight, said Gonzales.
In addition, after an officer got back into the patrol car, it was driven away with the rifle still on the trunk. A woman also saw the rifle and followed the car to try to get the officer's attention.
Gonzales said he flagged down two more SPD officers on bicycles to tell them what he saw. As he described, they were "shocked as hell."
Two more witnesses alerted police to the situation.
In response, the director of the SPD Office of Professional Accountability said in a statement, "It is unacceptable that a rifle was left unattended on a patrol car and people should expect more from their police department."
The commander of the West Precinct has begun the investigation, said the SPD.