Police used flash bang devices and pepper spray to disperse a crowd of protesters in Seattle Saturday night after authorities said rocks, bottles and explosives …
Police used flash bang devices and pepper spray to disperse a crowd of protesters in Seattle Saturday night after authorities said rocks, bottles and explosives were thrown at them.
Police said via Twitter that several officers were injured by “improvised explosives.”
The mayhem in the city’s Capitol Hill neighborhood came on the ninth consecutive day of George Floyd protests in the city. It followed a large, peaceful demonstration earlier with medical workers demonstrating against racism and police brutality. It also came a day after Mayor Jenny Durkan and Police Chief Carmen Best imposed a 30-day moratorium on the department’s use of one kind of tear gas.
A small group of protesters started throwing objects at officers about 7:30 p.m. Saturday, police said, and the crowd was ordered to disperse. Incendiary devices were then used.
After police were severely criticized by protesters and public officials alike for using tear gas and pepper spray to disperse largely peaceful crowds, Durkan and Best said Friday outside groups would review and update crowd-control policies, including the use of pepper spray and deadly force techniques such as neck and choke holds.
