18 arrested, 6 officers injured in Seattle riots

On Sunday night, Seattle rioters attacked the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG), the Seattle police union as well as other targets. Six officers were injured and were hospitalized and eighteen people were arrested after a riot was declared during the anti-police union demonstration in SoDo.

Over 100 rioters plus vehicles assembled at 7 p.m. for the anti police union march in the Chinatown/International District. The group marched towards the Seattle Police Officer Guild building on 4th Avenue South.

According to the SPD Blotter: "Shortly after 10:00 PM, someone in the crowd set off a large explosive and attempted to break out a police vehicle window."

The blotter continued that the incident commander issued an order to disperse to the crowd when rioters began throwing rocks and bottles at officers. Multiple explosives were thrown toward officers. Several officers were struck by explosives and injured.

Reinforcements were called in and was the Seattle Fire Department to treat the injured officers as police moved the crowd northbound on 4th Avenue South. The incident commander declared the incident a riot and officers used spray and blast balls to the stop the assault on officers. The crowd continued to move northbound, eventually dispersing.

Body cam footage from officers show projectiles being launched at them from the rioters.

The riot comes days after the Seattle City Council voted to defund over 100 officer positions in SPD which would lay off minority officers and the resignation of the first African American Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best.

SPOG was the organizer of the pro SPD rally last Sunday which drew thousands of peaceful protesters from the area as well as a petition to support SPD which has gathered over 175,000 signatures.

Meanwhile the mass exodus of Seattle Police officers continues. SPD has dropped below safe standards for the number of officers required to patrol and maintain safety in the city while neighboring cities have full ranks. Many SPD officers have transferred to other departments.

There are reports of neighboring departments receiving over 20 SPD transfer requests last week along. SPD is currently operating at half of what their operational capacity is and half of what cities of similar size such as Boston operate at.

The riot comes only a day after BLM activists were reported to be in Seattle suburbs demanding that residents give their homes saying: "Give up your house. Give black people back their homes," the protesters chanted. "What are you going to do about it? Open up your wallets."