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Mercer Island resident alleges police mishandling during public comment; council pauses for decorum
Summary
A public speaker, Addie Smith, used the council's public‑comment period to allege racialized mistreatment and to describe an arrest she said followed her defending herself; the mayor warned about personal attacks and allowed her to continue after removing attacking language.
During the public‑comment portion of the Nov. 18 meeting, a Mercer Island resident who identified herself as Addie Smith used her three minutes to describe what she said were repeated assaults and a police response that she called inadequate. She said she had attempted to play a video showing Mercer Island police officers at her former apartment and said officers arrested her "just for defending myself against a racist white woman." She accused city institutions of damaging her employment and reputation.
Mayor Salim Nees paused the timer after another speaker raised a point of order, and the city attorney cited the council’s decorum rules allowing the mayor to warn or cut short comments that include personal attacks or slander. The mayor asked Smith to continue without attacking language; Smith said she would attempt to play the video at a later meeting if technical issues persisted and reiterated her account that her arrest had harmed her employment and name.
The allegations were presented as personal testimony during public comment; the council did not take formal action or make findings at the meeting. No police representative provided a substantive response during the public comment item recorded in the transcript.
What’s next: The city did not announce follow‑up steps at the meeting. Journalists and residents seeking confirmation should request the police department records or an official response from Mercer Island Police.
