Violence is once again on the streets of Seattle.
Just weeks after the dismantling of the CHOP Zone, “protesters” are again targeting police and buildings.
From Seattle.Gov:
In response to community concerns, we are releasing body-worn video around the Sunday afternoon protests where 12 officers were injured.
In the following video, you can see that as protestors approached the West Precinct officers saw a man walk up to the secured garage doors of the building and hold an umbrella up to intentionally block the view of a security camera. Officers moved in to escort the person away from the doors and were immediately assaulted with bottles, street cones, and fireworks. One officer was struck in the neck and injured by fragmentation from one of the explosions resulting in that officer being hospitalized.
During the confrontation, officers used OC spray and stop the assault from the crowd. Officers arrested one person for assault and a second for theft of a police bicycle.
We are releasing this video in an attempt to be transparent and will continue to release videos of significant incidents.
Individuals participating in a large demonstration Sunday were responsible for a significant amount of property damage to government buildings and private businesses in Seattle. At least a dozen officers were injured and there were two arrests made.
A peaceful protest began in Westlake Park at 10:30 a.m. this morning. About three hours later, a second group showed up, carrying baseball bats. The group began marching southbound on Fifth Avenue. During the march, individuals within the group broke windows and tagged buildings with paint. The group headed south to the Seattle Police Headquarters and Seattle Municipal Court where they broke windows and spray painted both buildings. The demonstration then marched northbound on Third Avenue, where some businesses were targeted by individuals with more smashed windows, looting, and graffiti on the walls.
The group eventually made it to the West Precinct and some individuals attempted to break into the building. Protesters threw rocks and bottles at the officers who were outside defending the precinct. An unknown person or persons threw multiple large mortar-type fireworks at officers from a close range. Multiple officers were injured by the fireworks thrown at them. Two of the officers suffered lacerations and abrasion injuries while a third officer sustained burns to his neck area and needed to be treated by the Seattle Fire Department. He was later transported to the hospital. A total of twelve officers were injured. Blast balls and pepper spray were used to stop the assault on officers. Officers arrested two individuals, one for assault and the other for theft.
The march then made its way up to Capitol Hill, where individuals in the group committed more property damage and looting. A small fire was set inside one of the businesses after the windows were broken out. The fire was extinguished. Eventually the group went to the East Precinct where several individuals smashed out the front windows. A large, mortar-type firework was thrown inside the lobby of the precinct, causing a small fire. The fire was extinguished quickly. Officers located another unlit large mortar-type firework nearby.”
Here's more from The NYPost:
A dozen Seattle cops were injured when a downtown protest against police brutality and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement turned violent on Sunday, according to reports.
The peaceful demonstration, which began about 10:30 a.m. at Westlake Park, called for the abolition of ICE — but about three hours later, another group of protesters showed up with baseball bats, KIRO 7 reported.
The thugs marched toward police headquarters and left a trail of destruction along the way, including damage to the old federal courthouse, the Municipal Court Building and an Amazon Go store, police said.
“Individuals in the group appeared to target Starbucks and Amazon,” Sgt. Lauren Truscott told reporters.
The protesters then headed to the West Precinct, where they lobbed mortar-style fireworks at cops from close range, injuring 12, she said.
One of the injured officers was taken to a hospital after “fragmentation entered his throat and neck area,” Truscott said, adding that the others were treated at the precinct.
Officers used blast balls and pepper spray against the protesters. Two people were arrested after the mayhem.
The roving protesters then continued to damage businesses along their way to the East Precinct, where they broke windows and threw “some type of pyrotechnic item” into the lobby that ignited a small blaze, according to KIRO 7.
A resident extinguished the flames and no injuries were reported.
The group then gathered at Cal Anderson Park before dispersing, police said.
Truscott said the demonstrators appeared to be well organized and acted in “a joint effort to target specific businesses and government buildings.”
I'm not sure what is worse...
That such violence continues with seemingly little repercussion or that the city of Seattle needs to state that they are posting body cam footage to prove "transparency."
It's a shame when a local government has lost all credibility on the local and national stages.
Hopefully they will accept Federal help in regaining their streets.
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