Consider this another reason to lower the legal age limit for drinking. If the cut-off was 16 instead of 18, we could have been a bona fide beer summit!

No reciprocal apology from the cop, incidentally, which is the prudent way to go given that he’s still under investigation for the punch.

17-year-old Angel Rosenthal and Officer Ian Walsh met face-to-face at a North Seattle community center, said James Kelly with the Urban League of Seattle…

Kelly says Angel wanted to apologize directly to the officer and “the officer was good enough to meet with her and accept her apology.”

Also present at the meeting were Rich O’Neill, President of the Seattle Police Officer’s Guild, Deputy Chief Nick Metz and Rev. Reggie Witherspoon, Pastor of Mount Calvary Christian Center.

“(Walsh) did not have to do this,” said Interim Seattle Police Chief John Diaz. “But he felt it was an important first step in the beginning of the healing process. I want to personally thank Officer Walsh for his willingness to participate in this dialogue in what has been, undoubtedly, a very stressful period. I would also like to thank Angel. I think her willingness to reach out to Officer Walsh shows bravery and maturity.”…

Levias has pleaded not guilty to obstructing an officer. [Rosenthal] was charged Friday with third degree assault.

Possible reasons for Rosenthal’s apology: (1) She’s a good kid who realized belatedly that she shouldn’t have shoved a cop trying to make an arrest; (2) she understands that the incident has inflamed racial tensions in Seattle and is trying to help cool things down; (3) she was previously charged with second-degree robbery (the case was later dropped) and theft of a motor vehicle, for which she received a deferred disposition, i.e. the charges would be dropped if she “stayed out of trouble.” Apologizing to the cop will doubtless help in her sentencing on the assault charge. Exit quotation via the last link: “In announcing the charging decision, King County Prosecutor Dan Satterburg issued a written statement, saying ‘the law is clear, you can’t shove a police officer, period.'”