A SeaTac police officer employed by the King County Sheriff’s Office was found not guilty of assault by a jury last week after he punched a man in the back of a patrol car in 2023.
Matthew Wayne Good was charged with fourth-degree assault in October by King County prosecutors, who alleged he wrongfully punched a handcuffed man in the chest during an arrest. He was placed on paid administrative leave by the King County Sheriff’s Office, which has a contract with the city of SeaTac and several other cities to provide police services. Good’s defense team did not contest that he punched the man, but argued it was reasonable in defense of others.
Prosecutors alleged that during a domestic assault call in March 2023, Good punched the suspect several times in the chest while he was wearing a seat belt and handcuffed inside the patrol car, according to a probable cause statement. Prosecutors argued this constituted unreasonable use of force — which a jury disagreed with on Friday.
According to court documents, Good and other officers were called to the scene due to a domestic incident. When they detained the suspect, he “ignored commands, yelled at and threatened officers, kicked at officers, and flailed around,” according to the defendant’s brief.
After being placed in the car and in a seat belt, the man stuck his feet in the door to prevent it from closing, and deputies spent several minutes attempting to close the door before he kicked another deputy several times in the chest and groin, according to court documents. At this point, Good punched the man in the chest two to three times, according to the defendant. The man was charged with third-degree assault on a law enforcement officer for kicking the other deputy, and he pleaded guilty down to fourth-degree assault in December.
A use of force expert called by the prosecution, R. Scot Haug, said there were other options available and punching the man in the chest with a closed fist was “unnecessary” force. The alleged victim testified he did not remember the incident, as he was under the influence at the time.
The jury found Good’s use of force was in defense of others.
“The first thing to keep in mind is that officers are allowed to use reasonable force,” said Nick Gross, an attorney on Good’s defense team. “It’s not perfect force … you don’t have to prove that no amount of lesser force would have worked.”
Good said “My bad, my bad” immediately after punching the man, and another officer told investigators she said “Whoa man, stop,” according to the court documents.
The jury also delivered a special verdict ordering the state to pay Good’s legal fees and other expenses incurred.
Good was placed on paid administrative leave by the King County Sheriff’s Office last year after he punched the man — something the judge ruled would be excluded from the jury’s knowledge.
A King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said on Monday Good would remain on leave for “as long as it takes” to complete an internal investigation regarding the use of force.