Bellevue Police Arrest 23 Suspects After Downtown Looting

BELLEVUE, WA — Bellevue police have arrested at least 23 people suspected of looting downtown stores late last month, and investigators are looking to contact dozens more, the department announced Tuesday.

Bellevue Mayor Lynne Robinson declared an emergency and curfew on May 31, citing looting and property damage one day after a large demonstration in Seattle turned chaotic.

Bellevue Police Chief Steve Mylett estimated between 1,000 and 2,000 people were in the crowd at the height of the disorder. Among the 23 people arrested on suspicion of participating in looting and vandalism, two men face felony charges in King County.

"The organizers of the event attempted to cloak themselves under the guise of peaceful protests, and I'm here today to report that we have unmasked many of these individuals and have begun making arrests," Mylett said. "I want to make it perfectly clear, the widespread violence that we witnessed in Bellevue on May 31 has absolutely no connection to the many lawful protests Bellevue has witnessed since George Floyd's homicide."

Mylett said one of the men was arrested at his Renton home Friday, located among thousands of dollars in stolen items, an AK-47 rifle, a Glock handgun and drug paraphernalia. According to the chief, detectives identified him as a suspect through images provided by a Bellevue resident, clearly showing the suspect's face and distinctive tattoos.

In the wake of the May 31 looting, approximately 10,000 photos and videos from were submitted as evidence from members of the public, Mylett said. Police have since identified another 100 potential suspects they plan to contact as the investigation continues.

The police chief said his department will continue to pursue anyone involved with the crimes, even if investigations take another year or two. So far, detectives estimate more than $50,000 in stolen merchandise has been recovered.

"This is going to be a long process," Mylett said. "This is not something that's going to be one and done in terms of arresting a handful of people."