With the exception of a few minor scuffles between clowns and our local superheroes, the 13th Annual May Day March for Worker and Immigrant Rights was a complete success and went off without a hitch.

But two hours after that march ended, at about 6 pm, another group of demonstrators smashed windows, hurled rocks at officers and bystanders, souring an otherwise peaceful day.

Earlier in the day, police throughout downtown provided traffic control and security as thousands of people celebrated their First Amendment rights during the May Day March for Worker and Immigrant Rights.

Police were prepared to provide the same level of public safety service for a 6 o’clock demonstration, that began at Seattle Central Community College. The Capitol Hill march was unpermitted, and demonstrators did not provide the city with any information about which route the march would take through the city. According to a flyer, this march was advertised as the Anti-Capitalist/Anti-State May Day 2013 Rally and March.

Even without a permit, police worked to assist demonstrators as they marched down Broadway, providing traffic control.

The behavior of the group during the evening demonstration steadily escalated into violence. Just after 7 p.m., protestors began spraying the costumed Rain City Superheroes with silly string. Shortly after that, the window at Sun Liquor was smashed.

The march then wound its way downtown on Pike Street towards the Downtown Retail Core, where demonstrators began shoving and attacking reporters as they provided live on-air reports from the event.

Shortly after that, demonstrators ignited a smoke device, spewing orange pinkish smoke throughout the block.

After demonstrators began damaging property, throwing fireworks and rocks at officers, police formed a tactical line to prevent the marchers from moving any further into the retail core or on to the Interstate on-ramps.

After demonstrators began throwing metal rods and full water bottles at officers and business windows, officers moved in and made arrests.

When officers arrested several protesters and began loading them into transport vans, demonstrators surrounded the officers and prevented the vehicles from leaving.

Some demonstrators then began to throw large rocks and pieces of asphalt at officers.

In the interest of safety, police commanders issued clear orders to the crowd to disperse. The order was repeated three times.

Meanwhile, some demonstrators continued to hurl rocks, bottles, fireworks and a skateboard at officers.

Officers chose to deploy oleoresin capsicum, better known as OC pepper spray, to move the crowd.

It should be noted that all officers equipped with OC spray must be pepper sprayed during training before they are able to use OC in the field.

Officers gave demonstrators numerous opportunities to leave as police worked to clear downtown streets. However, a large group of demonstrators moved up Olive Way. Officers followed them using pepper spray and blast balls to keep the crowd moving.

Officers endured a barrage of rocks and bottles throughout the melee until the crowd finally did disperse around 9 p.m.

In all, 17 people were arrested for various offenses including property destruction and assault.

Eight officers sustained injuries, mostly bumps and bruises with the exception of one female officer who was struck in the knee by a fist sized rock.

A woman driving by the scene of one of the protests was injured when a protester hurled a glass bottle at her car, shattering her window. The woman sustained cuts from broken glass and was treated at the scene by medics.

Reports indicate limited damage to cars and business around the demonstration route. A complete tally of damage will be forthcoming.

The department will form a task force to investigate all criminal activity that occurred during the evening demonstration. Anyone with pictures or video clips is asked to save them.

The department will thoroughly review all force used by officers, per department policy.

Tomorrow is May Day, which means you’ll see a large crowd winding its way through the Central District and downtown Seattle during the afternoon and evening as part of the 13th Annual May Day March for Worker and Immigrant Rights. 

The rally will leave Judkins Park—at 21st and S. Norman Street in the Central District—at 3 pm and head north on 20th Avenue S., winding through downtown to the Jackson Federal Building on 2nd Ave and Marion St.

You can find a map of the march route below, but if you’re just not into topography here’s where demonstrators will be marching:

• North on 20th Ave. S to South Jackson Street
• West on South Jackson to 12th Ave S
• South on 12th Ave S. to King Street
• West on King Street to 5th Ave. S.
• North on 5th Ave to Jackson Street
• West on Jackson St. to 4th Ave
• North on 4th Ave to Pike Street
• West on Pike St. to 2nd Ave
• South on 2nd Ave to the Henry Jackson Building at 2nd and Madison

The march is expected to arrive at the Jackson building at about 4:30 pm.

At 6 pm, a second un-permitted march will leave Seattle Central Community College. There is no official route map for the second march.

We’ll be providing live updates about both events and their routes tomorrow on our Twitter feed, @SeattlePD. Hopefully you won’t hear much from us.

You will, however, certainly see a large number of uniformed officers around tomorrow’s rallies. They’re there to ensure you’re able to freely and safely exercise your First Amendment rights, direct traffic around the marches, and to prevent or respond to any unlawful behavior.

So, come on down and revel in your First Amendment rights, show off your flashy superhero costume, or just hang out and enjoy the crowds. As always, please contact an officer or call 911 if you have any concerns or need to report an emergency. 

Today Mayor Mike McGinn and the Seattle Police Department’s 20/20 team provided an update to the public on the progress of 20/20 implementation. The mayor also announced new civilian appointments to the Firearms Review Board, which reviews each discharge of a firearm by a Seattle police officer and makes disciplinary recommendations.

“We are about half way through our timeline for reforming the Seattle Police Department in 20 months, and significant progress has been made. I encourage the public to visit seattle.gov/spd2020 to learn more about our changes to recruitment, training, transparency, community outreach, use of data in policing and much more,” said McGinn

The mayor also released a report, available at seattle.gov/spd2020 outlining in detail the current status of each item committed to in the 20/20 plan. Highlights include:

• Review of uses of force: SPD now has a Force Review Board, designed on the model of the Firearms Review Board. It meets each week to review every use of force by every Seattle Police officer and draw conclusions about whether the use of force was handled correctly. We have also recruited and trained a Force Investigation Team to respond and investigate at the scene of a use of force incident.

• Data-driven policing: SPD has piloted and tested evidence-based “hot spot” policing (the “Koper Curve” model) at the micro level to address location-based crime and disorder problems in each of the five precincts. Additionally, statistical tools are used to measure the effectiveness of the tactics employed. This has created a significant shift in the culture of policing within the Department, away from random patrol to addressing disorder closer to the origins of its cause. The purchase of “PredPol” (a predictive policing, algorithm based software using forensic anthropology) has enabled us to leverage existing mapping software to utilize predictive analytics in the tactical deployment of officers.

• Training: SPD now has a full time Race and Social Justice Initiative program coordinator. By the end of 2013 all sworn and civilian officers will take part in the RSJI training, “Race: The Power of an Illusion”. SPD is working with Tribes across Washington including the Lummi Nation and Tulalip Tribes to develop specific training for officers on issues affecting our Native American population. Street skills training has been expanded to address the difficult problem of low level offenses from escalating. By the end of 2013 in all SPD officers will be trained in Crisis Intervention Team tactics, which focus on de-escalating interactions with people in mental health crisis.

• Transparency: SPD last year launched Tweets by Beat, an interactive 9-1-1 crime map with real time updates, and precinct specific webpages are coming soon.

• Community Outreach: In 2012 we launched our Safe Communities outreach initiative, talking to thousands of residents and building better relationships between our officers and our community. We have appointed our Community Police Commission, who will provide civilian oversight to the implementation of 20/20, the Settlement Agreement and the Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Justice.

• Recruitment: SPD will eliminate the $25 fee application fee for all those interested in applying, made plans to increase the number of opportunities for testing throughout the year, and worked with community-based organizations to recruit potential candidates from various communities that reflect our diverse city.

All Mayor’s Office press conferences, town halls and general public meetings are archived by Seattle Channel.

A man standing outside the gun buyback event this afternoon was showing his recently purchased launch tube assembly for a Stinger portable surface-to-air missile.  Naturally, this created a bit of excitement, and several people at the event informed officers there was a man walking around with a missile launcher.  Officers spoke to the man, who was very cooperative, and told officers that he had just purchased it for $100 from another person at today’s event.  Officers then asked the man if they could take a closer look at the launcher.

The launch tube assembly for the Stinger is what holds the actual missile and is designed to be disposable after it is fired, as this one clearly was.  Officers checked the tube and confirmed that there was no missile inside.  However, even an expended launch tube is still a controlled military item.  This item is not available to civilians through any surplus or disposal program offered by the government.  Items such as this are required to be accounted for until they are ultimately destroyed.  Detectives from the Arson/Bomb Squad will notify the Army Criminal Investigation Division on Monday and see if they can determine through the serial number the status of this particular launch tube.

The man was provided with a case number and a short report was written regarding the circumstances surrounding this item. Officers took possession of the launch tube.   The man did indicate he would like to keep the launch tube if he is legally able to do so.  The man agreed to accept a gift card as compensation if the launch tube is not returned to him.  It is most likely, however, that the launch tube was previously obtained unlawfully from the military in which case, SPD will likely return the item to Joint Base Lewis McChord—as we do with other recovered military explosives and ordinance—where it will be properly accounted for and destroyed.

We appreciate everyone’s patience with today’s event.  This is the first time the Department and the City of Seattle has had such an event in over 20 years.  Over the weekend, we will tally up the total number of weapons turned in and gift cards distributed, and the Mayor’s Office will announce the total on Monday morning.

While the state doesn’t have anything on the books defining “assault weapons”, here’s what our in-house gun experts came up with for the purposes of the gun buyback:

1. A semiautomatic rifle that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of the following:
   1. A folding or telescoping stock
   2. A pistol grip that protrudes beneath the action of the weapon
   3. A bayonet mount
   4. A flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor
   5. A grenade launcher

1.  A semiautomatic pistol that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of the following:
   1. An ammunition magazine that attaches to the pistol outside of the pistol grip
   2. A threaded barrel capable of accepting a barrel extender, flash suppressor, forward handgrip, or silencer
   3. A shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles, the barrel and that permits the shooter to hold the firearm with the non-trigger hand without being burned
   4. A manufactured weight of 50 ounces or more when the pistol is unloaded

1. A semiautomatic shotgun that has at least 2 of the following:
   1. A folding or telescoping stock
   2. A pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon
   3. A fixed magazine capacity in excess of 5 rounds
   4. An ability to accept a detachable magazine

If you’re unsure whether or not one of your guns is an assault weapon, that’s OK. We’ll have on-site SPD experts at the ready during the buyback to help out. Just remember: be careful, and handle all firearms as if they were loaded.

In case you’re wondering, click here to find out what’s going to happen to all those guns.

Want to learn about being a police officer?  What is CSI?  What does I & R stand for?  What’s a DOA?  The Seattle Police Department is now taking applications for the  eleven-week Community Police Academy that begins Thursday, March 14, 2013.  Classes are held once a week for eleven-weeks from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The Community Police Academy is designed to provide Seattle residents with an opportunity to learn firsthand about the job of a police officer and how the Seattle Police Department works.  Classes focus on patrol procedures and operations, internal investigations, the criminal justice process, crime scene investigation, bias crimes, narcotics, SWAT, use of force, defensive tactics, firearms/mock scenes, domestic violence, elder abuse, and arrest procedures.

Graduates receive a program certificate upon completion of the course.  Additionally, they benefit by gaining knowledge and an understanding of the realities and best practices of policing. 

Space is limited, so all are encouraged to apply early.  The deadline to submit your application is Friday, February 8, 2013.

To apply, go to: http://www.seattle.gov/police/programs/policeacademy/default.htm or call 206-684-8672 for more information.

To come inside City Hall, you’ll have to be an invited member of a wedding party. However, the community will be celebrating this historic day on City Hall Plaza, on 4th Avenue, where we encourage you to cheer and congratulate each couple as they exit the building. Ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. Please join us on 4th Avenue at any point during the ceremonies to help make this an extra special moment.

If you’re unable to join us in person, you can also view the ceremonies online here:

Congratulations to all the couples getting married today! This historic day has been a long time coming, and is proof that It Gets Better.

What – UAV Question & Answer

When – October 25^th, 2012

Time – 6:00 p.m.

Location- The Garfield Community Center, 2323 East Cherry Street, Seattle, WA 98122

Seattle Police Arson/Bomb Squad Lieutenant Greg Sackman will be on hand with the UAV to answer your questions and receive your feedback about our proposed policy. 

A draft copy of the Department’s operational protocol is attached below:

UAS Operations Manual 

East Precinct-68 pounds

West Precinct-59 pounds

Southwest Precinct-199 pounds

South Precinct-36 pounds

North Precinct-147 pounds

Total weight: 509 pounds.  Thank you all that participated, and there will be another opportunity in the Spring.