Since the September 7, 2020, SPOG Rally, where Seattle Police used flashbangs, blast balls, pepper spray, and sponge-tipped rounds almost indiscriminately, the department has shifted tactics. By early October, they have modified how they use bike officers and have virtually eliminated the use of explosives. This shift in tactics has resulted in targeted arrests.
Previously, when engaged with protesters, officers would standoff, then move in force at an entire group due to a single protester’s action. Officers on bicycles would typically lead these charges supported by officers on foot. These tactics created a stronger response from protesters and injured more people. Sweeping arrests occurred with suspects misidentified, credential press and medics arrested, and charges filed with no supporting evidence.
Local news affiliate KOMO reported that Mayor Durkan praised police officials for their change in tactics. “The Seattle Police Department is getting better now at being able to target arrests, to isolate people in the crowd that are [sic] doing the destructive things. We will continue to arrest people for that [criminal acts during demonstrations],” Durkan said.
November 30, 2020, the 21st anniversary of the WTO riots protest, highlights how SPD has changed tactics. Protesters broke windows at a Starbucks on 12th Avenue while SPD officers observed at a distance. As recently as October, this kind of action would have created an immediate response by police. Instead, officers followed protesters for a half-mile while controlling their route through a residential neighborhood. When the protesters tried to move off of 16th, SPD blocked their direction and kept them northbound using a dispersal order.
As the protesters continued to march, Seattle Police moved to within arms reach at times. Bike officers stayed on the street, and officers on foot walked on the sidewalk. Tactical support was provided by a vehicle equipped with LRAD, additional officers in two vans, and a SWAT unit in the Bearcat.
Radio communications and discussion from officers indicated they were planning a targeted arrest. SPD moved protesters toward the intersection of 16th Ave, E Madison Street, and E Pine Street. This intersection provided a broad paved area, bright lighting, and multiple routes of access. Additionally, it is a pocket of commercial businesses.
When the protesters reached East Pike Street, SPD moved back while confirming their target for arrest. They started to clear the street of medics and press, who usually follow behind direct action groups, to create an exact route. The officers on foot moved ahead of bike officers while staying on the sidewalk. When the protest group entered the intersection, Seattle Police moved quickly.
Officers ran on foot into the group of protesters, tackling three individuals. Officers on bicycles operated in a supporting role and created a protective circle. While making the bike barricade, they separated the protesters into two groups. Although officers have frequently used bikes as barricades, this appeared to be a secondary action.
After the arrests and another dispersal order to move up 16th, Seattle police bike officers made several false charges, stopping short just inches from the protesters. Police used a small amount of pepper spray, with a couple of protesters impacted, but made no additional arrests.
Two tactics that haven’t changed? First, Seattle police continue to give dispersal orders while not allowing protesters to disperse. Second, dispersal orders continue to drive protesters back to the protest starting point, where officers disengage.
These changes started to form almost immediately after the retirement of Chief Carmen Best. Under Best’s leadership, Seattle Police seemed to use tactics that inflamed protesters and the public. The actions have resulted in multiple civil lawsuits for injuries and property damage at the hand of SPD.
Back on June 1, protesters were met with OC, tear gas, and flashbang grenades when the Seattle Police department erected the Western Barricade in Capitol Hill. The asymmetrical tactics by the Seattle Police resulted in more protesters assembling at the Western Barricade daily. An estimated 2,000 on June 2 swelled to 60,000 by June 6. Protesters faced escalating violence each day, reaching an apex on June 7. The Seattle Police Department controversially abandoned the East Precinct on June 8.
The Seattle City Council stepped in and banned tear gas use. Additionally, a federal judge also established a protection order on August 10. These orders didn’t stop the general use of force against protesters by the Seattle Police. According to the ACLU, there was disproportionate use of force on August 16, August 25, and September 7. The federal courts issued an order on August 10 as a result of SPDs actions on July 25. Those tactics now seem to be part of the past, even with large groups of protesters.
To observers and experts on civil unrest, the broad targeting of all protesters creates a vicious cycle. For every peaceful protester exposed to police violence, several more take their place. It also reinforces the Black Lives Matter message of police violence against people who aren’t breaking any laws.
No other city demonstrated this better than Portland, Oregon. When federal officers arrived and escalated the situation, the number of protesters swelled from around 100 to as many as 10,000. The area around the federal courthouse became a hotbed of civil unrest, receiving international news coverage. When federal officers left the city, the number of protesters dropped off quickly.
Whether these changes are due to the direction of Chief Diaz or the result of pressure from court orders, OPA investigations, and lawsuits, public interest in protests is declining. Unfortunately, the racial inequality that impacts the BIPOC community has not changed.
Approximately 75 to 100 protesters marched through the Capitol Hill area on Monday to recognize the 21st anniversary of the WTO riots. The march also marked 180 days of continuous protest in Seattle. The protesters, dressed mostly in black, gathered in Cal Anderson Park before moving over five miles.
With Lt. Diamond on LRAD, Seattle Police arrived within minutes of the marchers moving onto Broadway. The protest continued down Broadway before turning into Seattle University outside of Swedish Hospital. Seattle police declared that protesters were blocking hospital access over the LRAD system, while nearby SPD officers mocked COVID restrictions.
A couple of protesters broke windows at a Starbucks on 12th Ave, while the smell of fresh spray paint hung in the air. Shortly after, Seattle police bike officers started to follow the protest, while a squad of approximately ten officers moved on foot. Seattle police discussed targeted arrests as they closed in on the protesters.
At East Madison Street and 16th Ave, Seattle police took three into custody during the night’s first arrests. During the arrest, someone threw a glass bottle at officers. Using their LRAD, a warning was issued to disperse immediately. SPD claims that multiple bottles and rocks were thrown during the arrests on the Seattle Police Twitter feed. Video taken during the arrests by numerous journalists and streamers do not support their version of events.
The protest snaked through residential areas that Seattle police were pushing the protest group through. Despite moving protesters into neighborhoods, the Seattle police were issuing “apologies” via LRAD for the disruption. Protesters moved dumpsters, construction barricades, rental scooters, and recycle bins into the road to slow SPD officers’ advance.
During the march, Seattle police deployed pepper spray on several protesters, who were seen being treated by medics. There was an additional arrest, however, it was a couple of blocks from the leading protest group. The Seattle Police blotter states the arrest was for property damage.
The protest moved north toward Volunteer Park, passing Uncle Ike’s on 15th Ave East. The group paused only briefly at the controversial cannabis store, where there were sounds of windows being struck. There did not appear to be any broken windows at the store, and the Seattle Police blotter made no mention of any damage.
Seattle Police officers caught up to the protest group and declared the march an unlawful assembly. As the group moved north, SPD maintained less than a 20-foot gap between themselves and the protesters, often only being a few feet away.
During this push by Seattle Police, multiple protesters claim an officer used a racial slur against protesters, calling one of them a n****r. During this same time, we could hear Seattle Police officers disparaging Seattle Public Schools and COVID restrictions in response to a protester chant to the tune of A-B-C-D.
Protesters took a return route to Cal Anderson Park, with significant amounts of graffiti in their wake. Seattle police made one more charge into the protest group, grabbing one individual on the sidewalk and immediately releasing them back into the protest group. The final charge appeared to be an act of unprovoked aggression by officers as the protest was winding down.
Police assets involved included the previously mentioned LRAD system, two vans, several police vehicles, and the SWAT team Bearcat. Protesters returned to Cal Anderson Park around 10:30 PM, and Seattle Police disengaged the protesters.
On September 7, 2020, 300 to 400 people marched from the International District to the Seattle Police Officer’s Guild (SPOG) offices in SODO. At 6:20 PM, Seattle Police took direct action against a mostly peaceful group, rushing in with over 100 officers in two directions. When the smoke cleared, Seattle Police and the Seattle Police Officer’s Guild claimed they moved on the group due to intelligence that an individual had Molotov cocktails. They advanced to arrest that person. Our investigation indicates the official version of the events that happened that day doesn’t stand up.
From September to November, both SPOG and SPD have released videos of events during the protest. The videos they released included security cameras, body cameras, and scraped content from journalists. We analyzed their video in combination with over nine hours of video Malcontent News captured on September 7.
The Seattle Police Officer’s Guild released a video on September 11, 2020, which highlighted an individual carrying a Corona beer box as the known suspect with the Molotov cocktails. SPOG accused the person of wanting to burn down their offices and that it was the march’s broader purpose. SPOG, in their video, states that was the reason police advanced on protesters.
In November, the Seattle Police Department released over an hour of security camera and officer’s body camera video from September 7. The SPD video also claims that police moved in on protesters due to an individual with Molotov cocktails. An SPD statement reads, “During the march, SPD received information that a suspect in the crowd had and was readying Molotov cocktails. members of the crowd began to gather outside SPOG, gathering and placing combustible material in front of the fence.“
We interviewed protesters from that day, and one of our cameras captured a person throwing trash over the fence. Protesters told us they had picked up trash during the march from the International District and had planned to toss the garbage over the fence but had no plan or intent on lighting it on fire. SPD’s own story of a lone operative with Molotov cocktails morphs into a coordinated effort as their statement continues. “Others in the crowd began to take those same materials, throwing them over the fence in a coordinated effort.“
Our video analysis shows that the man with the Corona beer box walks past the people leaving trash bags at the northeast corner of the SPOG fence. He continues to walk southbound past the SPOG building and into the main body of protesters adjacent to the SPOG parking lot. Just as Seattle Police move in, an individual throws one bag of garbage over the fence. The video doesn’t support the premise of a coordinated effort with the trash, nor coordination with the man carrying the box.
An investigation that reviewed the officer’s statements, SPOG press release, videos, and the SPD released videos created more questions than providing answers. Our review shows that the Seattle Police had multiple opportunities to arrest the person allegedly with Molotov cocktails, yet took no action.
Video recorded by journalists on September 7 shows the person of interest standing mere feet from officers, directing protesters to head north. Seattle Police Department body camera video shows the individual in front of multiple Seattle police and SWAT officers. Another video shows the person of interest about an hour later, marching back with protesters.
The man holding the Corona beer box has been a point of controversy from all sides since September 7. Some people in the protest community have told us he is a “stupid protester” operating independently. Others have accused the individual of being part of the extreme-right, there to discredit the movement. Some suggested the individual seen later in videos is a different person from the one carrying the Corona beer box.
Our analysis discovered that the man carrying the Corona beer box had a red shirt under his darker shirt. A camera caught a glimpse of the red shirt sticking out from under his sweat jacket about 30 minutes before the protest group arrived at SPOG headquarters. SPD body camera video, which shows SPD officers ignoring the man, also shows the same red undershirt.
Part of SPD’s claims is that on September 7, people inside SPOG headquarters smelled gasoline. The claim being, they could smell the Molotov cocktails outside. On the same day, the SPD Twitter released a photo of the opened beer box showing the contents inside. However, the bottles appear to be empty or near empty, and nothing in the contents has the color of gasoline.
SPD’s statement from the day declares, “Lt. Brooks ordered the arrest of the suspect with the Molotov cocktail and at 6:20 PM SPD made its first contact with the crowd…” The wording is essential. Like the SPOG video of September 11, the SPD statement establishes they knew who the suspect was. That person is the man carrying the Corona beer box. Not only is he never captured, he stands feet away from police on multiple occasions where arresting him would have been safe for officers.
Our investigation concludes that the Seattle Police Department’s claim that they advanced on protesters to arrest an individual they knew to have Molotov cocktails is highly questionable. The Seattle Police Officer’s Guild identifies the person in their video on September 11. In the videos released by the Seattle Police Department in November, the same individual goes ignored in their analysis.
After six months of protests, a council vote, a mayoral veto, and a veto override, The Seattle City Council reversed course again, voting to fund police hiring in 2021. The Seattle Police Department in October reported they had 1,203 uniformed officers. If fully funded, the hiring plan for 2021 could grow the police force to more than 1,300 officers.
Councilmembers Lisa Herbold, Teresa Mosqueda, Alex Pedersen, Lorena Gonzalez, Dan Strauss, Andrew Lewis, and Debora Juarez voted to hire more officers in 2021. The council’s reversal shatters six months of conversations and promised action to the BIPOC community, seeking sweeping changes to the Seattle Police Department. Although cuts to the police budget for 2021 remain, the consent decree coupled with an onerous contract with the Seattle Police Officer’s Guild has made cuts in logical places a near impossibility.
Compared to other west coast cities, only Oakland and San Francisco have larger per-capita police forces and budgets. In San Francisco, the cities approach to crime, drug addiction, and homelessness is mostly considered a failure. In Seattle, backers of the police frequently comment on how they don’t want the city to become San Francisco, yet are often the biggest proponents of a San Francisco approach to policing.
City leaders in Seattle continue to form advisory committees, hire Street Czars, and commit to studies without action. The continued issues of “legal redlining,” underfunded schools in BIPOC communities, and a non-approach to drug addiction and homelessness have gone unaddressed for decades. Despite the police budget growing 50% in the last ten years to the third-highest per-capita on the west coast, there has been no appreciable movement on crime rates. Some crimes, including assault and sex crimes, have increased over the last ten years – with assaults growing dramatically.
Other cities in the United States have been able to make more progress with less disruption and protests. Austin cut their police budget by over 30%, Minneapolis voted to abolish their police force and create a new one from the ground up, and Denver passed a series of reforms. Protests for Black Lives Matter and police reform began on May 26, 2020, in Seattle, peaking in mid-June while the world watched CHAZ/CHOP on Capitol Hill.
John Mitchell created an art installation highlighting Black Lives Matter artwork and scenes of Seattle Police Department brutality at his Capitol Hill studio. The art installation uses projectors, valued at $25,000 each, to display the video clips and still images through windows and on to the Seattle East Precinct station’s ecology block barriers. Police officers complained that the installation was problematic for exiting the garage, and tonight officers confronted Mitchell.
In a video shot on October 31, seven Seattle police officers approached Mitchell, demanding he removes the projector and threatening to confiscate the art installation. In the video shared on Facebook, one of the officers says, “We’re going to give you a warning. If the officers complain some more [sic] about this light blinding you, we’ll write up a report and confiscate it. You’ve been warned [sic] multiple times.“
Earlier in the video, the same officer asks, “Have you tried driving a car out of there yet?” The ramp the officer is talking about is gated and has a small, no trespassing sign. One protester and one citizen journalist have been arrested at different times for walking up the ramp, indicating that accessing the ramp would likely be met with force.
This is a breaking story and we will continue to monitor.
A vehicle drove through protesters outside of the Seattle West Precinct police station, striking at least three protesters with reports of at least one injured. A group from Seattle’s Every Day March, on their 151st day of protest were outside of the police station when a car exited from a parking garage and drove through the crowd. Reports from the scene indicate the driver is an Amazon security guard, who was asked by protesters to drive a different route but instead drove through the group. Seattle Police are reporting they have a driver in custody.
Earlier reports of Seattle car brigade drivers being ticketed appear to be untrue based on video from the scene, with drivers issued written warnings.
Among the victims was a person who was with Summer Taylor and Diaz Love on July 4, when Taylor was killed and Love gravely injured in an early morning motor vehicle attack while protesting on Interstate 5. Washington State Patrol had closed the freeway, but left access to the off-ramps open.
Video shows a large group outside of the precinct, and screams of terror as the car drove through the protesters. After there was a scene of chaos with Seattle Police working on issuing written warnings to the car brigade drivers and later harassing Every Day March leaders while they were trying to leave.
This is at least the sixth car attack against protesters in Seattle since June 7, 2020. Nikolas Fernandez drove his car into protesters on June 7, shooting one in the arm before surrendering to the police. Fernandez has been charged with felony assault. Retired Seattle police officer Molly Clark drove her car through a Seattle protest while hurling racial slurs. Clark retired from the Seattle Police Department was never charged. A Doordash driver drove through the bike brigade during a march, clipping a person and destroying a bike. That driver was never charged. Dawit Kelete drove his Jaguar SUV into protesters on I-5 in the early morning hours of July 4. He was arrested and has been charged with vehicular homicide and reckless driving.
Seattle Municipal Code Section12A.12.015(A)(4) allows protesters and vehicles to block traffic and be in the street while exercising their First Amendment rights.
Renee Raketty contributed to this story.
The CHOP Gallery on Seattle’s Capitol Hill may not be open to the public but its new installation is already raising the ire of its neighbor — the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct.
The installation includes up to five projectors streaming protest-related content onto the north-facing windows on E. Pine St. and onto the precinct itself.
The curator, John Mitchell, gave Malcontent News a tour on Monday. The projectors have not been mounted yet to their permanent positions as he continues to perfect their placement. Some of the projectors, which he acquired used, had once fetched $25,000 each.
“These are professional grade projectors once used by Nike — not sponsored,” he says.
Before Mitchell could finish his thought, a marked SPD police cruiser pulled up. “Mr. Mitchell…” the officer began to say from his rolled-down driver side window. The officer went on to explain that one of the projectors made it difficult for him to see oncoming traffic.
Mitchell, himself an accomplished photographer, says he just wants to spark dialogue in the community and encourage other artists to act.
The video includes strong language, discussion on violence, and police activity.
An estimated crowd of 1500 assembled on Capitol Hill to march in recognition of 150 days of continuous Black Lives Matter protests in Seattle. Assembling at Cal Anderson Park, once the heart of CHOP, at 6 PM, the crowd continued to swell as a host of speakers and organizers addressed the enthusiastic crowd. Three black-owned businesses did a brisk business before protesters assembled for their march.
The march route went through downtown and stopped briefly at the West Precinct. The Seattle police reported graffiti was painted on the ecology blocks that surround the building, and some bottles were thrown. We witnessed fresh graffiti but did not see, nor hear any bottles. The march then went to Westlake, where there were more speeches by organizers and black leaders, a candlelight vigil, and live music by the Marshall Law Band. During this time a group of an estimated 100 protesters broke off and moved traffic barricades into the street according to Seattle Police Department reports.
For the return to Capitol Hill a smaller group, who had attended for over four hours, marched back to Broadway and Pine. As the evening march concluded, a large group from ENDD in black bloc, marched east on Pine before turning north on 11th. A resident of Capitol Hill reported that eggs had been thrown at the East Precinct and there was fresh graffiti.
Seattle police then appeared in force heading west on Pine and drove at a high rate of speed north on 12th. When our team moved to investigate, a large group of protesters rounded the corner at 12th and Pine, heading west, with Seattle Police chasing them with dye enhanced pepper spray and batons. No pepper spray was deployed, and upon our arrival with cameras, SPD released two they were just taking into custody and told the third person, “take a walk.” One was held by SPD while one community member yelled from a window and another protester heckled officers. Ultimately the individual was released.
