Veteran Seattle police officer charged with sexually assaulting 3 co-workers
SEATTLE -- A veteran Seattle Police officer was charged Thursday with sexually assaulting three of his co-workers.
John Knight, 50, has been with the department for 26 years and is now facing some serious allegations. According to charging documents Knight groped other police officers in the workplace starting in August 2015.
He has been suspended without pay after being charged with fourth-degree assault.
The first alleged victim is a female police officer on the force for more than 18 years.
She says it started with Knight rubbing her shoulders then it escalated to grabbing her behind and bare chest on multiple occasions. She told investigators at one point Knight even dry humped her during a training session in front of other officers.
The female officer says she resisted Knight’s advances but he allegedly told her, “You know if you just let me do it, it would get over with more quickly.”
And that officer wasn't alone. Another woman who was a temporary civilian employee alleged that Knight groped her on 40 different occasions.
The last alleged victim is a male officer with the department for 27 years. He's accusing Knight of grabbing his groin area at least four different times.
He says that Knight shrugged off his behavior and allegedly said, “What can I say? I'm a predator.”
Knight’s attorney, Eric Makus, told Q13 News on Thursday that his client is stunned with the allegations. Makus says there is a lot more to the story and he is asking the public not to rush to judgment before all the facts are out.
Knight has been in trouble before. According to our news partner The Seattle Times, in 2007 Langston Gossett complained about Knight and another officer. Gossett said Knight painfully grabbed his groin area aggressively during a pat-down. Gossett was mistaken for a car prowl suspect; he is the son of King County Council member Larry Gossett. An investigation cleared the officers of wrongdoing.
Knight will appear in court October 20.