Seattle police chief warns council of ban on crowd control tools ahead of weekend

As City Council s legislation goes into effect, it will create even more dangerous circumstances for our officers to intervene using what they have left riot shields and riot batons, Best wrote on the Seattle Police Blotter. For these reasons, SPD will have an adjusted deployment in response to any demonstrations this weekend. The Council legislation gives officers no ability to safely intercede to preserve property in the midst of a large, violent crowd.

On Wednesday night, windows at many other businesses in the Capitol Hill neighborhood were broken. Individuals broke in to a businesses on East Olive Way and started a fire inside. At one store, merchandise was put in the middle of the street where it was lit on fire. Two banks were also damaged in the area of Summit and Madison.

SPD said about 150 people were doing massive amounts of property damage, looting, shooting fireworks, and committing arson.

The events on Sunday, July 19, also included property destruction and attacks on officers. SPD says more than a dozen officers were injured on those two nights.

Chief Best expects the potential for similar activity over the upcoming weekend, and without the tools that officers have been trained to use to disperse crowds, she says it would be reckless to confront the level of violence they re witnessing.

via mynorthwest.com