New report looks at how Seattle, SPD handled the CHOP during 2020 BLM protests
Aharsh new critique of the city of Seattle and its police department was released Wednesday from an investigation into the establishment of the CHAZ/CHOP zone in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood during the summer of 2020 at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests.
The new 81-page report is the third in a series of five reports coming from the City of Seattle Officer of Inspector General. The "Wave 3" report also includes a set of recommendations, following waves of protests throughout the spring and summer of 2020 in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, a Black man killed by Minneapolis police officers.
The reports of Waves 1 and 2 focused on police actions that impacted protests, but this latest report sheds light on very different lessons for the city as a whole, not just the Seattle Police Department. Specifically, what happens when the city relinquishes its role in providing critical services and keeping everyone safe, when communication breaks down between departments, when there are siloed decisions being made, along with being transparent and truthful with the community.
Some of the "critical incidents" reviewed by the panel span the duration of the CHOP, beginning with the evacuation of SPD's East Precinct on June 8, and culminating in the clearing of the CHOP. The panel also looked at the impact of the CHOP on residents, local businesses, protestors and city departments, as well as two fatal shootings that happened inside the CHOP involving teenagers.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/new-report-looks-at-how-seattle-spd-handled-the-chop-during-2020-blm-protests/ar-AA12TEHK