Nicholas Hogan, 36, a former police officer in Tukwila and Snoqualmie, Washington, pleaded guilty today to Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law after viciously assaulting a handcuffed man at Harborview Medical Center. The attack, which included repeated knee strikes and the use of pepper spray on a restrained patient, unfolded in May 2011 and has now culminated in federal charges and a guaranteed ban from law enforcement.
Hogan responded to a reported fight on Pacific Highway South in Tukwila on May 20, 2011. The suspect, injured during the incident, was taken into custody on a misdemeanor warrant. With orders from King County Jail to seek medical treatment, Hogan transported the man to Harborview. Despite being handcuffed and physically restrained, the man refused to exit the patrol car. That refusal sparked Hogan’s violent response—pulling him out and driving his knee into the man’s head multiple times.
Inside the emergency room, the brutality continued. Hogan shoved the man until he fell, then dropped his full weight onto him, pinning the restrained individual with a knee to the back. Medical staff placed the man on a gurney with four-point restraints. Surrounded by a curtain and isolated in a treatment area, the man posed no threat. Yet Hogan remained alone with him—and deployed pepper spray directly into his face.
In his plea agreement, Hogan admitted he knew the use of pepper spray was neither necessary nor reasonable. He justified it only by claiming the man “got mouthy.” That excuse, prosecutors say, underscores a culture of unchecked power and abuse. U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes condemned the act: “This defendant betrayed the trust we place in police officers to use only necessary and appropriate force.”
As part of the deal, Hogan surrenders his law enforcement commission permanently and is barred from seeking any role in policing, corrections, or security—including private security or any firearm-carrying position—for 15 years. He faces up to one year in federal prison and a $100,000 fine. Sentencing is set for January 27, 2017, before U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour.
The FBI led the investigation into the incident, a rare federal prosecution of an officer for on-duty abuse. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Miyake, along with Department of Justice Civil Rights Division trial attorneys Rose Gibson and Jared Fishman, handled the prosecution. The case stands as a stark reminder: when cops cross the line, the law can still catch up.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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