Seattle Police Should Stop Using Tear Gas, Oversight Leaders Say

SEATTLE, WA — As thousands protested in the streets for a seventh night in Seattle, the city's police accountability leaders worked to finalize a joint call-to-action, urging the Seattle Police Department to immediately stop using tear gas.

LATEST: Seattle Temporarily Bans Police Tear Gas, After Public Outcry

Under legislation enacted in 2017, Seattle's police oversight system is comprised of three civilian-led departments.

The Office of Police Accountability investigates individual allegations of officer misconduct, while the Office of the Inspector General focuses on systemic issues, audits and reviews. The Community Police Commission, a 21-member body, serves as the community's voice in the process, identifying issues in need of change, and making recommendations on policy and accountability reforms.

Leaders from all three oversight branches signed the memo and notified Mayor Jenny Durkan of their recommendation Thursday night. It was delivered to the mayor and the police chief Friday morning.

They are seeking an immediate answer, but the city legally has up to 30 days to respond. Patch reached out to the mayor's office and the police department for comment Friday. A spokesperson for Durkan said the mayor would respond to the memo during an afternoon news conference.

A public statement signed by the CPC's three co-chairs said there were "serious questions" over whether tear gas should ever be deployed and asked the police department to immediately halt its use, pending a thorough review. Commissioners also referenced a lack of specific rules and training related to tear gas.

Read more from the Community Police Commission here.

"SPD has no policies on the use of tear gas for crowd management," the commission wrote. "Police officers should not be deploying use of force tools for which they do not have policies and training. This is not how our system of police accountability works, nor should it."

The CPC noted tear gas is classified as a chemical weapon, and its use at protests has raised concerns among medical experts that exposure can increase the risk of infections during the coronavirus pandemic.

"The Chemical Weapons Convention has explicitly banned the use of tear gas," the CPC wrote. "Furthermore, infectious disease experts have warned police departments around the country against using tear gas, which causes people to cough and can make the body more susceptible to infection, only helping to spread the coronavirus during this pandemic."

Related: Tear Gas Is Way More Dangerous Than Police Let On

Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer for King County, tweeted Thursday that he opposed the use of tear gas for the same reason.

As the Stranger reports, many Capitol Hill residents said they were exposed to the gas inside their apartments after large plumes poured through the neighborhood Monday evening. At least four OPA investigations were launched as a result of police actions that night.

Friday's recommendation follows similar demands from protesters, community leaders and activists in recent days. Use of tear gas has been roundly condemned by most members of the Seattle City Council.

During a hearing Wednesday afternoon, Councilmember Kshama Sawant said she would introduce legislation seeking to ban most crowd control devices, including tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets and sonic weapons. Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda also urged the department to stop using such devices on crowds — concerns shared by Councilmember Lisa Herbold, chair of the Public Safety & Human Services committee.

"I've never in 25 years of being in protests in the city of Seattle experienced such an indiscriminate use of tear gas, pepper spray and flash bombs against people who aren't doing anything wrong," Herbold said.

Council President M. Lorena González and Councilmember Andrew Lewis repeated their support for halting the use of tear gas Friday morning.

"It should not take political courage to be against tear gas," Lewis wrote on Twitter. "If there was ever an easy thing to ban from American streets, it’s tear gas."

Related Coverage:
Witness Interviews Begin As Seattle Protest Complaints Hit 15,000
Seattle Mayor, Police Chief Face Questions Over Protest Response

At another public meeting Wednesday, the CPC reiterated prior recommendations that the police department stop using potentially dangerous crowd control devices, like blast balls, until their impacts can be fully studied.

According to the OPA, at least 15,000 complaints have alleged officer misconduct since the weekend. The police watchdog said about 12,000 complaints were filed by Monday, and a "vast majority" centered on a video of a young girl who bystanders said was pepper-sprayed.