27 Arrested In Seattle Protest; Police Accused Of Excessive Force

SEATTLE, WA — Seattle on Sunday is confronting the aftermath of an intense protest against police violence Saturday that escalated into a series of clashes between civilians and law enforcement, resulting in dozens of arrests, complaints of excessive force and widespread property damage.

Twenty-seven people have been arrested, accused of a variety of offenses ranging from assault to arson, Chief Carmen Best said in a news release after midnight Sunday. Multiple officers and civilians were injured, Best said.

Meanwhile, the city has received "a number of complaints" about excessive force, the city's Office of Police Accountability said Sunday morning, pledging to investigate each allegation.

One widely-shared video shot downtown late Saturday by a reporter from Crosscut appears to show a police officer kneeling on a man's neck while arresting him, only stopping when a fellow officer pushes his knee aside.

Demonstrators in Seattle were protesting the death of George Floyd, 46, who was killed in Minneapolis Monday after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes while Floyd begged for air. The arrest has been condemned by law enforcement officials nationwide, including Best, who called it a "tragic murder."

Saturday's main protest began peacefully around 3 p.m. at Westlake Park, where organizers planned to rally before marching south through downtown and up toward Capitol Hill. However, many deviated from the route and onto I-5, bringing traffic to a standstill.

Elsewhere, protesters rallied around Seattle Police Headquarters, where police eventually deployed tear gas against the rallygoers. At one point, multiple cars were lit on fire in front of the Nordstrom store near Westlake Park, and some threw incendiary devices like Molotov cocktails, sparking several fires, according to Best.

Multiple businesses in the Westlake shopping area were looted, with merchandise stolen from shops including Nordstrom, North Face and Old Navy, the Seattle Times reported.

Just before 5, Mayor Jenny Durkan issued a 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew for downtown Saturday and Sunday, in the hopes of clearing protesters out. Gov. Jay Inslee also activated 200 national guard members at the city's request, to help protect against property damage and direct traffic.

"We are planning for the rest of the night and tomorrow," Best said early Sunday. "We will continue to respond swiftly to all acts of violence and destruction."

Patch staffers Lucas Combos and Charles Woodman contributed to this report.