SPD officer buys shoes for woman in crisis

A Seattle police officer dealing with a woman in crisis bought her a pair of shoes when she had none.

Video of the incident was posted to the Seattle Police Department’s YouTube channel Thursday afternoon.

The incident happened January 25 in Lake City, near an area known for problems with homeless people in crisis.

Police contacted the woman in the parking lot of Elliott Bay Brewery, at 12537 Lake City Way NE. Before the woman was taken to the hospital for evaluation, officer Dale Umpleby went to the nearby Value Village and purchased shoes for the woman with his own money.

“This is the second time in six months he has purchased shoes for individuals he has come in contact with on calls, and for whatever reason do not have shoes,” according to a department statement.

In 2014, Umpleby was one of 123 Seattle police officers who filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice saying use-of-force policies imposed were unrealistic. The list also included Chris Myers, the 2009 Officer of the Year. Department leaders said the suit did not represent the views of the department, and the suit was thrown out by a federal judge in October 2014.

However, since then several respected officers in the department still say the DOJ use of force policies are unrealistic, and statistics show the number of proactive police interactions significantly decreased after the DOJ’s court-ordered consent decree began in 2012.

In a video description showing Umpleby’s good deed, the Seattle Police Public Affairs Unit said Umpleby did not realize he was observed buying the shoes.

“I love these!” the woman is heard saying on the dashcam video. “Thank you so much.”

Umpleby is heard telling the woman that he was concerned her feet wouldn’t be warm.

On Wednesday, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said that area of Lake City would be “the first neighborhood we are going to engage in the city of Seattle.” His plan includes converting a former fire station property into low-income housing that can benefit a large immigrant population, and to create a preschool on the first floor of the complex.

The plan also includes 20 blocks of sidewalks and a park at the former Aqua Dive site.

Neighbors hope the effort will address problems in the area, including drug dealing in other nearby parks, prostitution, and public drug and alcohol use that make residents feel unsafe.

Cox Media Group