Seattle police chief Carmen Best has warned city council and businesses that her officers won’t be able to stop violent protests after the use of tear gas and rubber bullets were taken out of her arsenal..Seattle has been the site of violent protests for weeks following the death of black man George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in Minnesota..But now council has passed a motion ordering the Seattle Police Department to stop using tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the rioters. Pepper spray can only be used in rare circumstances..“With this Council ordinance, we hear loudly and clearly that the use of these less-lethal tools by SPD officers to disperse crowds that have turned violent have been completely banned by City Council,” Best said in a letter to council and area businesses..“Under these circumstances, as created by Council, we cannot manage demonstrations as we have in the past. If I am not allowed to lawfully equip officers with the tools they have been trained to use to protect the community and themselves, it would be reckless to have them confront this level of violence under the current legal restrictions imposed by Council.”.Best said officers have been able to arrest some rioters, but only when they are able to do so safely with the use of force as an option..“In large crowds, there is no safe way for officers to effect arrests when their colleagues do not have the tools necessary to protect them,” Best wrote..“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..“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. Allowing this behaviour deeply troubles me, but I am duty-bound to follow the Council legislation once it is in effect. If the Council is prepared to suggest a different response or interpretation of the legislation, I stand ready to receive it.”. Seattle police chief won’t send officers to riots after less-lethal weapons taken awayThis image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Join-WS-side-image-300x300.png .Officers are also barred from using pepper-spray except in dire circumstances where the spray’s dispersal has no chance of hitting anyone else other than the intended target..“Officers who typically deploy with OC as one of their standard less-lethal options will no longer be carrying this tool,” wrote Best..One of the recent actions of the rioters was setting up their own autonomous zone which they declared police free..The area, apparently run by warlords, quickly ran out of food and had to as for vegan donations..A couple of weeks later the area was back in the hands of police – with barely a whisper from protesters..After two people – including a 16-year-old boy – were shot and killed around the Capital Hill Autonomous Zone – police moved in and cleared the area..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.Twitter.com/nobby7694
Seattle police chief Carmen Best has warned city council and businesses that her officers won’t be able to stop violent protests after the use of tear gas and rubber bullets were taken out of her arsenal..Seattle has been the site of violent protests for weeks following the death of black man George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in Minnesota..But now council has passed a motion ordering the Seattle Police Department to stop using tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the rioters. Pepper spray can only be used in rare circumstances..“With this Council ordinance, we hear loudly and clearly that the use of these less-lethal tools by SPD officers to disperse crowds that have turned violent have been completely banned by City Council,” Best said in a letter to council and area businesses..“Under these circumstances, as created by Council, we cannot manage demonstrations as we have in the past. If I am not allowed to lawfully equip officers with the tools they have been trained to use to protect the community and themselves, it would be reckless to have them confront this level of violence under the current legal restrictions imposed by Council.”.Best said officers have been able to arrest some rioters, but only when they are able to do so safely with the use of force as an option..“In large crowds, there is no safe way for officers to effect arrests when their colleagues do not have the tools necessary to protect them,” Best wrote..“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..“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. Allowing this behaviour deeply troubles me, but I am duty-bound to follow the Council legislation once it is in effect. If the Council is prepared to suggest a different response or interpretation of the legislation, I stand ready to receive it.”. Seattle police chief won’t send officers to riots after less-lethal weapons taken awayThis image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Join-WS-side-image-300x300.png .Officers are also barred from using pepper-spray except in dire circumstances where the spray’s dispersal has no chance of hitting anyone else other than the intended target..“Officers who typically deploy with OC as one of their standard less-lethal options will no longer be carrying this tool,” wrote Best..One of the recent actions of the rioters was setting up their own autonomous zone which they declared police free..The area, apparently run by warlords, quickly ran out of food and had to as for vegan donations..A couple of weeks later the area was back in the hands of police – with barely a whisper from protesters..After two people – including a 16-year-old boy – were shot and killed around the Capital Hill Autonomous Zone – police moved in and cleared the area..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.Twitter.com/nobby7694
